FIFA have warned both Egypt and Algeria of any undesirable incidents ahead of next week’s crucial meeting between the two rivals in a World Cup qualifier at Cairo International Stadium. Egypt needs to beat Algeria by a three-goal margin in order to qualify for its first World Cup since 1990, while a two-goal victory will set up a playoff match on neutral ground.

"With less than two weeks to go to the final match day, we have been informed directly and via the media of some tensions leading up to this decisive day," FIFA said in a letter sent to the football associations of both countries. "In this regard, we feel it is timely to remind you that FIFA is clearly monitoring all the activities around this match day”.

"FIFA reconfirms that the preliminary competition for the 2010 World Cup should end as it began, in the spirit of fair play with the necessary cooperation of all the parties. In this context, please note that the FIFA delegation will arrive one day earlier in Cairo, namely on Wednesday 11 November to help facilitate the necessary cooperation and dialogue required for such an important event."

Despite attempts to calm the atmosphere in advance of the match, there has been little concrete sign of its effect and it appears that the intense rivalry between the nations may reach a new level.