Benguela, Angola — The Angolan city of Benguela, which will host today’s Africa Cup semi-final football match between Egypt and Algeria, has been transformed into a military encampment amid stepped-up security in an effort to avert clashes between rival fans as happened at a November World Cup play-off match in Sudan.
The heavy security presence was visible in public areas and around hotels accommodating the two national teams. Large numbers of plainclothes police, meanwhile–instructed to to arrest any fans engaging in hooliganism–could be seen deployed on the streets.
Algeria is reportedly dispatching some 2500 Algerian fans to attend the potentially-explosive match. Egypt, by contrast, is sending as few as 160 fans, whose flights have yet to be confirmed.
Egyptian team coach Hassan Shehata, for his part, has instructed his players not to respond to expected provocations by the Algerian team.
In a related development, Egypt’s Council of Ministers issued a statement calling on fans from both sides not to let the match jeopardize relations between the two countries.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
