by Fayez el Zaki Hassan

    KHARTOUM, Nov. 18 (Xinuha) -- Algeria has paved its way to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa after winning over Egypt 1-0in the play-off, which was hosted at el Merreikh stadium in Omdurman on Wednesday.

    The Algerian coach Rabih Saadan led his team to a difficult victory against Egypt, which is led by coach Hassan Shahata, where Algerian defender Antar Yahya scored the lone goal in the 41st minute.

    Egypt missed many easy chances in its drive to score equalizer in the match, which witnessed remarkable performance of both goalkeepers, the Algerian Fauzi Shawshi and the Egyptian Isam Al Hadary.

    As it was expected, the high tension between the fans of the two teams has affected the match, which was characterized by yellow cards for eight players.

    Around ten thousand Egyptian, nine thousand Algerian and sixteen thousand Sudanese fans watched the mach from the stadium.

    Following the match, a number of Algerian fans fell unconscious and were taken by ambulances to Omdurman hospitals.

    The Sudanese security authorities tended to send the Egyptian fans out of the stadium first to prevent them from clashing with the Algerian fans, who flared fireworks inside in celebration of qualification.

    On the other hand, thousands of Sudanese fans, carrying flags, streamed into Omdurman and Khartoum streets amid intensive presence of the Sudanese police and security forces. No clashes between the fans have been reported so far.

    This is the third time Algeria qualifies for the World Cup finals, where the first was in 1982 in Spain and the second in 1986 in Mexico.

    Algeria will join Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana from Africa in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.