The organizing committee of last Wednesday's World Cup playoff between Egypt and Algeria denied that any unfortunate incidents occurred before, during or after the game. Algeria defeated Egypt 1-0 in Sudan to book a place at next year's World Cup finals in South Africa but their fans did not just celebrate such a precious win. They attacked Egyptian supporters with knives and blades in the streets of Khartoum to spark angry responses from the Egyptian government and citizens alike. The Egyptian FA filed a complaint to world governing body FIFA and said they would need help from Sudan authorities to confirm the story. But it seems the EFA will have a mountain to climb to convince FIFA that their delegation - which included renowned politicians, actors, actresses, journalists and TV presenters - suffered in Khartoum. "There weren't any organizational problems. Everything was in place to make sure everybody is safe," Moatasem Gaafar, the organizing committee head, told a news conference. "The referee and the match commissioner praised the Sudanese Football Federation's efforts to successfully stage that game." Al-Tayeb Babacar, who was responsible for security, also said they had not detected any Algerian fans holding knives. FIFA have earlier said they had opened disciplinary proceedings against Egypt after Algeria's bus was attacked upon their arrival in Cairo to face the Pharaohs in a World Cup qualifier on November 14, four days before the playoff.
