Algeria's team bus was attacked by stone-throwing fans in Cairo on Thursday ahead of Saturday's highly-charged World Cup qualifier against Egypt, police officials said.
The incident, which happened as the Algerian squad was being taken from the airport to their hotel, immediately sparked a diplomatic war of words.
Egyptian police insisted that there were no injuries, but Algeria's foreign minister said several players had been hurt and demanded security be tightened for Saturday's game where a place at the 2010 World Cup finals is at stake.
In Algiers, foreign minister Mourad Medelci "strongly condemned" the attack which he described as serious and demanded that his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit take all measures to guarantee the security of the delegation.
Medelci said that "several" players had been hurt.
An Egyptian police official denied that Algerian team members were hurt.
The official said security troops overpowered local fans who tried to throw stones at the arriving members of the Algerian squad. Emotional Egyptian fans waited for the Algerians outside the airport but police managed to prevent them from hurling stones, the official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Pre-match atmosphere
The pre-match atmosphere in Egypt has surged to feverish heights amid an unprecedented level of tension between the North African rivals.
Verbal sparring between the two countries' supporters has reached such a pitch that both governments have issued appeals for calm.
On the internet, Algerian and Egyptian fans have traded abuse, reviving a decades-old, on-pitch enmity that erupted into violent riots during a similar qualifier in 1989, when Egypt won 1-0 to guarantee a place at the Italy finals.
Players clashed on the field after the game and the Egyptian team doctor was partially blinded during the trouble.
Egypt then threatened to pull out of the following year's African Nations Cup in Algeria. They eventually sent a B team and lost all three group games.
On Saturday's match, Algeria needs only draw to qualify for the World Cup.
The fierce rivals are supposed to meet in a playoff in Sudan if they finish level at the top of their World Cup qualifying group, FIFA said on Wednesday.
The venue, which was favored by the Egyptians, was chosen at a draw at FIFA headquarters, soccer's governing body said. Algeria had asked to play in Tunisia.
Algeria, who last qualified for the World Cup in 1986, lead African Group C with 13 points, three ahead of African champions Egypt, who despite being a dominant force on the continent have not qualified since 1990.
"Historical game"
This is a historical game in which tolerance should be the winner
Five planes were to land in Cairo airport later on Thursday carrying 2,000 Algerian fans, according Algerian Airlines spokesman.
The first group of Algerian fans arrived in Cairo on Tuesday. As soon as they landed, they started roaming the streets of Cairo carrying the Algerian flags. Many Algerian newspapers published pictures of the pre-game celebrations.
Other fans preferred coming by land through Tunisia and Libya. The Algerian eastern border areas are currently witnessing unprecedented influx as fans cross everyday while singing and cheering for the Algerian team.
Algerian Communications Minister Ezzedin Mayhoubi told Al Arabiya that his ministry received the requests of 136 journalists from Algerian media who wanted to travel to Cairo to do the press coverage for the game.
"This is the first time ever we receive this amount of requests to cover one single event," he said.
Mayhoubi criticized Western media for reporting that the game is one of hatred between Egypt and Algeria and called upon both teams to prove that this is not true.
"This is a historical game in which tolerance should be the winner."
(With Agencies)
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