FRANCE: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - French Algeria fans treat England draw as victory

Record ID: 573515

  • Title: FRANCE: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - French Algeria fans treat England draw as victory
  • Date: 18th June 2010
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 18/19, 2010) (REUTERS) ALGERIAN FLAGS IN FRONT OF CAFE ALGERIAN FANS WAITING IN FRONT OF CAFE ALGERIAN FANS WATCHING GAME ALGERIAN FLAGS, PEOPLE SMILING
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7FSY2HA6VRCEL4FDHLW2Q8W34
  • Story Text: Algeria fans in France, home to a very substantial minority of North African descent, turned out in force overnight on Friday (June 18) to celebrate the team's 0-0 World Cup draw against England as a major victory.
    Fans in the Belleville district thought Algeria could next beat USA.
    Cafe owner Omar Mafouf said: "I think we're going to beat America. They're the world's most powerful country. but we'll beat them. Inshallah (God willing) we'll beat them," said one supporter.
    Fan Ashour Ben Housine said: "I'm very happy. They (Algeria) played really well. They should have played like that during the first game. I hope we'll beat the Americans with the help of God. Inshallah."
    A crowd of about 3,000 Algeria fans gathered in the northern Paris district of Barbes to celebrate their team's performance, watched by several hundred anxious riot policemen.
    Waving Algerian flags and chanting support for their team, they lauded the players who managed to avoid conceding any goals from an opponent that had been tipped to win the Group C match.
    That Algeria remains bottom of its group and unlikely to make it into the finals was of little concern to the several hundred fans who sang and danced on the Champs Elysees, in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe, one of Paris' leading monuments, which was ringed by riot police.
    Fans let off flares and unfurled a giant flag to celebrate their team's performance, happy that while it may not make it to the final 16 in the tournament, it is at least in South Africa.
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