Egyptian minister of information Anas Al-Fiqi said the country would send 'special troops' to Sudan if the country failed to protect the Egyptian delegation and supporters after riots broke out following the World Cup qualifier against Algeria. Algerian fans attacked and injured a number of Egyptians following their team's 1-0 victory in Sudan on Wednesday which earned them a place at next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. Members of the Egyptian delegation, which included famous actresses and actors, said they were not able to reach the airport. In phone calls with Orbit TV, some fans said they were sheltering in houses of Sudanese citizens. "President Mubarak contacted the Sudanese government to protect the Egyptian people," Al-Fiqi told the same channel. "If they fail to protect our people, we will send special troops to Sudan. "Anyway, the airport gates have been opened for the Egyptians to fly home." Renowned TV presenter Amr Adib called on Egyptians to stay in hotels until the matter ends to save their lives. In a video posted on YouTube on Tuesday night, an Algerian fan threatened Egyptians. "We are going to Sudan to avenge the deaths of our people in your country," he said. Algerian paper Echorouk alleged that eight people were killed after Egypt defeated their North African rivals 2-0 on Saturday to force a playoff. Algerian ambassador to Cairo and the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman firmly denied those reports shortly after.
