Egyptian journalists' adverse comments: “What happened between Raouraoua and Zaher was only a settling of scores”

Most Arab media outlets have hailed the reconciliation between the chairman of the Algerian football federation (FAF) Mohamed Raouraoua and his Egyptian opposite number Samir Zaher as a “wise decision” putting an end to the conflict which has been besetting Algerian-Egyptian relations since the confrontation between the football squads of the two countries in a decisive world cup qualifier in Cairo.

• The majority of the Arab newspapers brought into focus ‘the end of the Algerian-Egyptian crisis stressing the necessity of opening a new chapter in the relation between the two Arab countries.

• The Raouraoua-Zaher reconciliation will be conducive to a return by Egypt to the football competitions of the north-Africa cup (UNAF), noted several leading newspapers.

• However, on the other side of the spectrum, some hardline Egyptian journalists described such reconciliation as a “non-event” stressing that what happened between Raouraoua and Zaher was just a settling of scores between the two men.

• Several virulent Egyptian journalists including Chebana and Al Ghandour belittled the importance of what they called  such a “makeshift reconciliation” arguing that Raouraoua had agreed to a secret deal with the vice-Chairman of the Egyptian football federation, Abou Reida, whereby the latter would help him secure membership of the FIFA executive committee during the upcoming elections at the world football governing body in Zurich.