Egypt's task to reach the World Cup at the expense of Algeria, who enjoy a three-point and a four-goal advantage over the Pharaohs, is not that difficult, coach Hassan Shehata said. The six-time African champions host North African rivals Algeria in a crucial tie at Cairo Stadium on Saturday with a place in next year's South Africa finals at stake. They need to beat Algeria by a three-goal margin to reach the football's most prestigious event for the first time since 1990. A victory by a two-goal margin will set up a playoff meeting with the Desert Foxes in Sudan on Wednesday. "We know we have a chance and it is up to us to take it," Shehata, who led Egypt to back-to-back Nations Cup titles in 2006 and 2008, told FIFA.com. "We've faced far more difficult situations in the past against fiercer opponents, and we were able to overcome them. "Many people felt we'd blown our chances of qualification when we lost in Algeria, but we're still in the race. We have one chance now and we must seize it, but we've got to be extremely wary of our tough opponents." Egypt's all-time leading scorer Hossam Hassan, who scored the infamous goal that handed the team a victory over Algeria in 1989 and a place in the following year's World Cup, highlighted the importance of an early goal on Saturday. It will mount pressure on Algeria and pave the way for Egypt to register a remarkable win, he added.
Fans' support, positive or negative? Algeria boss Rabah Saadane believes his side's advantage will give them the upper hand. "We're in the better position regarding points and goal difference. This will be an important factor, as it will enable us to approach the game calmly in the knowledge that we have a mathematical superiority over Egypt," he commented. "Of course, we still have to capitalise on this on the field of play. As I see it there will be two elements to this game: tactics and psychology, and I believe the latter will play a big part in deciding the winner." Crowd Support Egypt are expected to play in front of a sell-out crowd at the 74,100-seat Cairo Stadium amid an unprecedented state of enthusiasm ahead of a football game. Some believe that being supported by a large number of spectators could negatively affect the performance of the hosts, who will be subjected to a huge psychological pressure. Shehata thinks otherwise. "Our aim is always to please the fans and we hope to continue to do this on Saturday," the 60-year-old stated. "Our players have enough experience to win in front of such a huge crowd, as they showed at the African Cup of Nations in 2006."
