Egypt recalls Algiers envoy after soccer loss

By Yasmine Saleh

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt recalled its ambassador from Algiers for consultations on Thursday after Egypt's soccer team lost to rival Algeria in a play-off to reach the World Cup finals, accusing its fans of post-match thuggery in Sudan.

The move is the latest in a tit-for-tat spat between the North African countries about minor violence surrounding World Cup qualifying matches played on Saturday and Wednesday.

Egypt's state-run EGYNews website said Cairo was recalling its ambassador over violence against Egyptians after Wednesday's match that Egypt has blamed on Algerian fans.

Scores of protesters, many of them waving flags, scuffled with security forces in front of the Algerian embassy in Cairo on Thursday.

Egypt won Saturday's game 2-0 in Cairo, scoring their second goal deep into stoppage time, to leave the two teams level at the top of African qualifying Group C.

That set up Wednesday's playoff in Khartoum, selected by Egypt when they won a draw to choose the venue.

Algeria won 1-0 to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa next year -- their first appearance at the finals since 1986.

Even before the Sudan playoff, Egypt had complained when Algerian fans trashed the Algiers headquarters of Egypt-based Orascom Telecom's Djezzy mobile subsidiary.

Egypt was further angered when Algerian tax authorities hit Djezzy with a $596.6 million bill for outstanding taxes.

Before that, Algeria was irked after Egyptian fans pelted the Algerian team's bus with stones and some fans were hurt in scuffles on game-day in the Cairo qualifier.

FIFA INVESTIGATIONS

Soccer's world governing body, FIFA, said it was investigating the incidents.

"Disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Egyptian Football Association," FIFA said in a statement.

"According to the official reports received by FIFA, on Nov. 12 there were incidents affecting the Algerian team on their way from the airport to the hotel."

Egypt complained of Algerian violence against its fans on Wednesday and summoned the Algerian ambassador in Cairo to demand that his government protect Egyptian citizens and assets in the country.

President Hosni Mubarak asked his foreign minister to summon the Algerian envoy to demand that Algiers "bear its responsibility to protect Egyptian citizens present on its territory as well as its institutions and interests", state news agency MENA said.

Frustrated by accusations it had not looked after fans, Sudan also summoned the Egyptian ambassador in Khartoum in protest. "We really disagree with what was said in the media," Sudan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Instead of showing a little bit of appreciation to Sudan for accommodating more than 25,000 fans of the two teams at very short notice, the Egyptian media took a minor and isolated incident and used it as a chance to attack Sudan in a very unacceptable way," it added.

Bad feeling between Egypt and Algeria stretches back to a World Cup qualifier 20 years ago in Cairo, when Egypt won 1-0 to guarantee a place at the World Cup in Italy.

Players clashed on the field after the game and the Egyptian team doctor was partially blinded during the trouble.

Egypt then threatened to pull out of the following year's African Nations Cup in Algeria. They eventually sent a B team and lost all three group games.