<p>Cairo fell silent as French-born Anthar Yahia scored from an acute angle five minutes before the break to give Algeria the victory in the Sudanese city of Omdurman.<br /><br />Earlier, the city had been mobbed with fans waving flags, chanting, and honking their car horns. <br />Police in at least one of the dozens of trucks deployed around the city had joined in the chants and cheers.<br /><br />Outside the Algerian Embassy, where riot police had been deployed to protect the building in case of trouble, a gruff-looking officer wiped a tear from his eye. A mother dragged her distraught child, telling him, "Never mind, we'll win next time."<br />In an apparent attempt to rally deflated spirits, several hundred Egyptian fans gathered in Cairo's central Tahrir Square to beat drums, wave the flag and sing.<br />"I don't understand," one onlooker said to his friend, surveying the crowds of dancing young men. "Just what are they so happy about?"<br />The scene was entirely different in Khartoum, where Sudanese football fans, many of whom supported Algeria, flocked to the streets in celebration, honking horns, cheering and waving Algerian flags.<br />"I've never seen anything like this here," one bemused resident shouted over the din. "This is the biggest thing Khartoum has seen in years."<br /><br />Sudan, which is not a typical tourist destination, has received tens of thousands of football fans. Politicians have been among the planeloads of people who have jetted in.<br />Many in Khartoum had flocked home early on what had been deemed a half-day. Heavily armed police lined the streets, cordoning off many of the city's main thoroughfares.<br /><br />Authorities in Egypt and Algeria took similar precautions. Media reports in the French city of Marseilles, home to a large Algerian population, and Kuwait City, home to a large Egyptian population, said security had been beefed up.<br />In Cairo after the game, the precautions seemed unnecessary. The angry or joyous mobs many had expected did not materialise. Stunned and dejected fans shuffled home. People had little to say.<br />Tensions had been high since Saturday, when Egypt scored in the last minute to give "The Pharaohs" the 2-0 victory they needed to stay alive and face Algeria in the playoff in Sudan.<br />In the buildup to Wednesday and Saturday's matches, Egyptian and Algerian fans had gone to war online, through songs recorded for the occasion, and on television and radio.<br />Passions have had diplomatic repercussions, and businesses and fans were attacked in Algiers and Cairo.<br />The tensions follow a rivalry that has simmered for decades. Fans rioted when Egypt beat Algeria in 1989 to qualify for the World Cup. Neither team had qualified since.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Cairo fell silent as French-born Anthar Yahia scored from an acute angle five minutes before the break to give Algeria the victory in the Sudanese city of Omdurman.<br /><br />Earlier, the city had been mobbed with fans waving flags, chanting, and honking their car horns. <br />Police in at least one of the dozens of trucks deployed around the city had joined in the chants and cheers.<br /><br />Outside the Algerian Embassy, where riot police had been deployed to protect the building in case of trouble, a gruff-looking officer wiped a tear from his eye. A mother dragged her distraught child, telling him, "Never mind, we'll win next time."<br />In an apparent attempt to rally deflated spirits, several hundred Egyptian fans gathered in Cairo's central Tahrir Square to beat drums, wave the flag and sing.<br />"I don't understand," one onlooker said to his friend, surveying the crowds of dancing young men. "Just what are they so happy about?"<br />The scene was entirely different in Khartoum, where Sudanese football fans, many of whom supported Algeria, flocked to the streets in celebration, honking horns, cheering and waving Algerian flags.<br />"I've never seen anything like this here," one bemused resident shouted over the din. "This is the biggest thing Khartoum has seen in years."<br /><br />Sudan, which is not a typical tourist destination, has received tens of thousands of football fans. Politicians have been among the planeloads of people who have jetted in.<br />Many in Khartoum had flocked home early on what had been deemed a half-day. Heavily armed police lined the streets, cordoning off many of the city's main thoroughfares.<br /><br />Authorities in Egypt and Algeria took similar precautions. Media reports in the French city of Marseilles, home to a large Algerian population, and Kuwait City, home to a large Egyptian population, said security had been beefed up.<br />In Cairo after the game, the precautions seemed unnecessary. The angry or joyous mobs many had expected did not materialise. Stunned and dejected fans shuffled home. People had little to say.<br />Tensions had been high since Saturday, when Egypt scored in the last minute to give "The Pharaohs" the 2-0 victory they needed to stay alive and face Algeria in the playoff in Sudan.<br />In the buildup to Wednesday and Saturday's matches, Egyptian and Algerian fans had gone to war online, through songs recorded for the occasion, and on television and radio.<br />Passions have had diplomatic repercussions, and businesses and fans were attacked in Algiers and Cairo.<br />The tensions follow a rivalry that has simmered for decades. Fans rioted when Egypt beat Algeria in 1989 to qualify for the World Cup. Neither team had qualified since.<br /><br /><br /></p>
