World Cup play-off for Pompey duo
Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda were seconds away from World Cup qualification in their trouble-marred match against Egypt.
Belhadj played the full 90 minutes, while Yebda was not called off the bench in a dramatic encounter.
The Blues duo escaped injury in the build-up to the match when stones were thrown at the Algerian team bus as it drove from Cairo airport to their hotel.
The game saw Egypt take an early lead through former Wigan striker Amr Zaki – a player linked with a move to Pompey – before Emad Moteab scored five minutes into stoppage time to earn Egypt a 2-0 victory.
That goal left the North African neighbours level on points and goal difference at the top of Group C, meaning they will meet again next Wednesday in Sudan to decide which country goes to South Africa.
World football governing body FIFA confirmed that three Algerian players had sustained injuries in the bus incident.
'We saw that three players had been injured – Khaled Lemmouchia on the head, Rafik Halliche above the eye and Rafik Saifi on the arm,' FIFA representative Walter Gagg said.
'These weren't superficial injuries,' he stressed.
'With the stitches needed, we will have to see if these players can
play. The team doctor has still to make a decision on that.'
Gagg said Algeria's goalkeeping coach had suffered concussion, and described the bus itself as in a 'very bad way with broken windows and traces of blood on the floor'.
Meanwhile, Aruna Dindane lined up for already-qualified Ivory Coast in their 3-0 win over Guinea in Abidjan.
And team-mate Kanu was an unused substitute for Nigeria in their spectacular 3-2 away win against Kenya.
Needing to win their game and pray group leaders Tunisia lost to Mozambique, the unthinkable happened.
Goals from former Blues front man Yakubu and two from Obafemi Martins completed the first task despite being behind at half-time, while Tunisia threw it all away with a 1-0 defeat to Mozambique.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 11 February 2012
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