Al Ahly vs JS Kabylie – Egypt vs Algeria in club format

Al-Ahly’s Mohamed Aboutreika against JS Kabylie in Tizi-Ouzou

The African Champions League will renew old North African rivalries this weekend, as Egyptian side Al-Ahly take on JS Kabylie from Algeria in Cairo.

If there is one thing Algeria’s campaign to World Cup 2010 taught the watching world above all, it is that relations with fellow North Africans Egypt are not the best. En route to South Africa, Egypt and Algeria met in qualifying, in a special one-off playoff in Sudan after the two finished with identical records, and then again in the African Cup of Nations 2010 semi finals.

You may have heard that these games were not the most amicable.

In the group match in Cairo, which Egypt won 2-0 to force a playoff in Khartoum, violence marred the build-up to the game. Algeria’s team bus was stoned on arrival in Cairo, leaving five players injured.

Desert Foxes and Pharoahs

The thinly-veiled hatred between sections of the two nation’s supporters, which dates back to the 1980s and is often politically and sociologically motivated, boiled over and caused a minor diplomatic storm. Between the team bus stoning in Cairo and the playoff in Khartoum, Egypt recalled an envoy from Algeria amidst media backlashes in both countries.

Egyptian president Hosni Moubarak felt compelled to wade into the storm, making a statement of commitment to defend Egyptian citizens wherever they might be. 100 Egyptians living in Algeria had to be repatriated amidst fears for their safety, according to Agence France Presse, and Egyptian newspaper el-Wafd described the worsening relations as “a blow to all those who truly believed in Arab unity.”

In the consequent playoff Algeria beat Egypt 1-0 in Sudan to qualify for the World Cup. Four people were injured as supporters clashed in Khartoum. The pair met again in the African Cup of Nations semi final just two months later. In another fiercely contested encounter Egypt took some measure of revenge, beating Algeria 4-0.

Animosity still lingers. Algerian officials were furious when FIFA’s disciplinary committee took six months to hand down punishment to Egypt for failing to provide Algeria’s injured players adequate security in Cairo.

And when punishment finally came it was deemed laughably soft. Egypt were fined 70,000 euros and forced to play their first two World Cup 2014 qualifiers at least 100 kilometres from Cairo. Egypt had already previously expressed desire to move qualifying matches away from Cairo to Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia. Former Algerian international goalkeeper Drid Nacereddine called the sanctions “a masquerade.” Head of the Egyptian FA Samir Zaher called them “highly satisfactory.”

So when Jeunesse Sportive Kabylie were drawn in the same group as Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in the last eight group stage draw of this season’s African Champions League it was inevitable old emotions would rear their heads.

Canaries and Red Devils

JS Kabylie are 14-time domestic champions, and one of Algeria’s biggest clubs. Winners of the African Champions League in 1980 and 1991, the Tizi-Ouzou based club have been flying in this year’s competition and currently sit comfortably at the top of their four team group with 9 points. Nicknamed the Canaries, JS Kabylie are unbeaten at the mini-league stage and need just a point in Cairo to progress to become the first team to qualify for this year’s semi finals.

Al-Ahly of course are giants of the African club scene, six-time African Champions League winners – the most successful club in the competition’s history. The Egyptian team, which includes several stars of the national team including Mohamed Aboutreika, Mohamed Shawky, Ahmed Hassan and Mohamed ‘Geddo’ Nagy, were champions in 2008 but suffered a dreadful campaign in 2009 and failed to make it to the last eight mini-league after being eliminated by Nigerian outfit Kano Pillars.

This year, the Red Devils are looking to register Champions League number 7, but their mini-league campaign has faltered slightly with only four points from 3 games so far. They trail JS Kabylie by five points.

The game will be played at the famous Cairo International Stadium, scene of Egypt’s dramatic 2-0 win over Algeria back in November 2009 and a ground on which Al-Ahly have a formidable record.

In the previous encounter between the two sides JS Kabylie won 1-0 in Tizi-Ouzou, maintaining their 100% record with a 24th minute goal from defender Mohamed Khoutir-Ziti. It was Al-Ahly’s first defeat to an Algerian side since 1988.

The game was marred by continuing Egyptian/Algerian tensions however, as Al-Ahly’s team bus was pelted with stones before and after the match and the team were forced to wait in the dressing room for hours after the game until KS Jabylie fans left the stadium.

Al-Ahly president Hassan Hamdi said he would complain to CAF about the incident, and Madjdi Abdelghani, a member of the Egyptian FA, has moved to calm fears of further violence in Cairo ahead of the return fixture. “We can never insult our Algerian brothers. The match will remain in its sportive context. The Algerian players will get a hearty welcome.”

Despite the daunting nature of the task ahead, a trip to the bowels of Cairo’s fearsomely atmospheric International Stadium, JS Kabylie are confident. Spurred on by excellent form, they are setting sights high.

“Our team is capable of playing with the big boys and lifting the trophy,” Kabylie striker Amine Aoudia told Magharebia.com. “We have players with qualities enabling them to overcome the challenges they face whenever the chips are down.”

They may only need a point to advance, but playing in Cairo on Sunday will certainly provide JS Kabylie a challenge.

(For match report and video of the goals from this game between Al-Ahly and JS Kabylie, follow this link).

(photo via menosultra on Flickr)

African Champions League, African Football, Al-Ahly, Algeria, Egypt, JS Kabylie