Raouraoua avoids Zaher like the plague

Echorouk has learnt from sources of the Arab Football Union that the chairman of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), Mohamed Raouraoua, has flatly refused to meet his Egyptian opposite number, Samir Zaher, who has been seeking a reconciliation during the Riadh meeting. 

• Our sources indicated that the chairman of football federations of several Arab countries have endeavoured to convince Mohamed Raouraoua of making peace with Zaher but to no avail.
• These “mediators” received a flat “no” from the Algerian official.
• The chairman of the Algerian Football Federation even refused to have a seat besides Zaher in the conference hall.
• According to FAF sources, a reconciliation between the Algerian and Egyptian football federations is ruled out unless the Egyptian side issues official apologies for the hostile and unacceptable behaviour of the Cairo public backed by the Egyptian media, on the eve of the Egypt-Algeria World cup qualifier in November 2009.
• Raouraoua also refused to stay in the same hotel where the Egyptian delegation is residing and avoided to speak about the sanctions due to be taken by the World football governing body FIFA against Egypt on May 18th.
• The same sources also said that the chairman of the Egyptian football federation, Samir Zaher, has been using all ploys including the dispatching behind the scenes of “mediators” to soothe Raouraoua but to no avail.
• Zaher is glaringly seeking “reconciliation” with the Algerian side in a bid to try and soften the expected FIFA sanctions against Egypt before the announcement of the verdict.