PARIS - Fifa should have postponed Saturday's tense World Cup qualifier between Egypt and Algeria after the visiting team's bus was attacked in Cairo, said Algeria midfielder Khaled Lemmouchia.
PARIS - Fifa should have postponed Saturday's tense World Cup qualifier between Egypt and Algeria after the visiting team's bus was attacked in Cairo, said Algeria midfielder Khaled Lemmouchia.
Three Algerian players were hurt on Thursday when youths stoned their bus as they arrived in the Egyptian capital.
The incident prompted Fifa to ask Egypt for written guarantees confirming additional security measures to protect the Algerian squad, while the Egyptian FA claimed the incident was staged by the Algerians.
"Allowing this game to go ahead was recklessness," Lemmouchia, one of the injured players, told French sports daily L'Equipe yesterday.
Egypt and Algeria will return to the pitch in neutral Sudan today to settle the last of Africa's qualifying berths for the 2010 World Cup after a dramatic late goal gave the home side a 2-0 win on Saturday.
"In our side, some players were pallid, others were paralysed before the game," Lemmouchia said.
"We are human beings, we have familiesand Fifa let us play in that context. We had players injured. I had three stitches and nobody asked me if I was in any discomfort." - Reuters
Allowing qualifier 'reckless'
PARIS - Fifa should have postponed Saturday's tense World Cup qualifier between Egypt and Algeria after the visiting team's bus was attacked in Cairo, said Algeria midfielder Khaled Lemmouchia.
PARIS - Fifa should have postponed Saturday's tense World Cup qualifier between Egypt and Algeria after the visiting team's bus was attacked in Cairo, said Algeria midfielder Khaled Lemmouchia.
Three Algerian players were hurt on Thursday when youths stoned their bus as they arrived in the Egyptian capital.
The incident prompted Fifa to ask Egypt for written guarantees confirming additional security measures to protect the Algerian squad, while the Egyptian FA claimed the incident was staged by the Algerians.
"Allowing this game to go ahead was recklessness," Lemmouchia, one of the injured players, told French sports daily L'Equipe yesterday.
Egypt and Algeria will return to the pitch in neutral Sudan today to settle the last of Africa's qualifying berths for the 2010 World Cup after a dramatic late goal gave the home side a 2-0 win on Saturday.
"In our side, some players were pallid, others were paralysed before the game," Lemmouchia said.
"We are human beings, we have familiesand Fifa let us play in that context. We had players injured. I had three stitches and nobody asked me if I was in any discomfort." - Reuters