Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak attended the national team's training session on Thursday, two days before the crunch World Cup qualifier against Algeria. Mubarak always pays visits to Egypt's training camps ahead of crucial games as a sign of support. Gamal Mubarak, the president's son and a prominent official in the ruling National Democratic Party, also visited the team on Wednesday. The Pharaohs need to beat Algeria by a three-goal margin at Cairo Stadium on Saturday to qualify directly for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. A win by a two-goal margin will set up a playoff meeting with the Desert Foxes in Sudan on Wednesday.
