- ALGIERS: After a 24-year absence from football's biggest tournament, Algeria's last-minute qualification for the World Cup sent shock waves of glee through a country still reeling from a decade of civil war, persistent Al-Qaeda-linked terrorism and massive unemployment and graft.
The fans in the football-mad country on the northern coast of Africa are so excited that even high school graduation exams have been pushed forward so students can remain glued to the TV in June - just like everybody else.
Algeria was forced to beat Egypt in a one-match playoff to qualify for the tournament in South Africa, becoming the sole Arab nation at this year's World Cup.
The task ahead is not easy, though.