Algeria 0 Egypt 4

The Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Algeria and Egypt in Benguela, Angola on Thursday Jan 28 2010.

Egypt had their revenge. Having been eliminated from the World Cup by Algeria they wanted to reassert North African dominance, to prove it was they that deserved to be in South Africa.

They made their point, a three goal win with the added bonus of watching Algeria completely lose their cool, finishing with eight men. A grim night in Algiers; glee in Cairo.

The African champions are on course for their third straight Cup of African Nations and have not lost in this competition in 18 games, a record stretching back six years.

They will meet Ghana, victors over Nigeria in the other semi-final earlier in the day, in Sunday’s final in Luanda. Algeria leave Angola with their tail between their legs.

The acrimony that had followed the stoning of the Algerian team bus in November and allegations of fan violence by both nations ensured a tense build up, with extra security at the ground. While the stadium was only two thirds full, the atmosphere was fiery.

With several hundred Algerians at one end – most flown in by their government on the day withtheir tickets serving as a visa – and a small but vocal band of Egyptians at the other, the hostilities got started early.

Both sets of supporters whistled each others’ national anthem and flares were set off at both ends, sending a cloak of smoke across the pitch.

Algeria went close after just three minutes. Mourad Megnhi hit a looping, lobbed free-kick from 35 yards – extraordinary if he meant it – that went just over the bar but Egypt soon began to impress themselves upon their great rivals.

Algeria being in England’s group this summer, Fabio Capello was watching from his house in Milan as he recuperates from knee surgery.

There was not much he might have gleaned – the rivalry and the three red cards skewed this game entirely – but he will have noticed how easily Portsmouth’s Nabir Belhadj was beaten down the left.

Six minutes before half-time and the game reached its defining moment. Rafik Halliche, who had been booked earlier, misjudged the ball in the air and completely missed what should have been a straightforward clearance as Egypt tried to break from a corner.

Meteeb pounced on the loose ball and went sprinting towards goal. Halliche, in his desperation to make up for his mistake, went for a risky slide-tackle in the area and while he seemed to make some contact with the ball, he took the Egypt striker first.

The Beninois referee, Codjia Koffi, pointed to the spot.

As Abdrabou Hosny placed the ball on the spot Koffi remembered that he wasn’t finished with Halliche, striding over to show him his second yellow card.

If the Algerians were already raging with the injustice of it all, Hosny made it worse by coming to a complete stop during his run up before tucking the ball into the bottom right-hand corner and squatting down to kiss the spot.

Faouzi Chaouchi, leading the protests at perceived Egyptian cheating, was booked for his behaviour.

There was a flicker of resistance when Portsmouth’s Hassan Yebda went close with a fine free kick that Essam El Hadary saved well but with just over 20 minutes left, Egypt settled it.

Mohamed Zidan, the man who had said before the game that this was “war”, twisted and turned mischievously before curling his shot into the net.

There was more Algerian misery to come: two more red cards, two more goals. Belhadj capped his poor performance by crashing into El Mohamady, incurring a straight red from the referee. Substitute Mohamed

Abdel Shafi then scored from a tight angle with nine minutes left. Then Algeria’s Chaouchi was shown a second yellow for kicking another substitute, Mohamed Nagy, with just three minutes to go, before Nagy broke clear to squeeze the ball in. Humiliation complete.

Match details

Algeria (4-4-2): Chaouchi (Zemmamouche 88); Yahia, Bougherra, Halliche, Belhadj; Meghni (Laifaoui 67), Mansouri, Yebda, Ziani; Matmour (Abdoun 75), Ghezzal.
Booked: Halliche, Chaouchi.
Sent off: Halliche, Belhadj, Chaouchi.
Egypt (3-5-2): El Hadary; Gomaa, Hany Said, Fathalla (Nagui 59); El Mohamady, Hassan, Fathi, Hosny, Moawad (Abdelshafi 78); Zidan, Meteeb (Ghaly 52).
Booked: Fathalla.
Goals: Hosny (39 pen), Zidan (66), Abdel Shafi (81), Nagy (90)
Referee: C Koffi (Benin).