Following the events of the past weeks related to the World Cup qualification play-off and the unfortunate loss of Bahrain against New Zealand, I would like to express my views, which I believe a lot of people share.

I am a daily reader of your newspaper (which I love, by the way!) and have noticed for a while that unfortunately sporting events involving Arab nations, especially football, are relegated to the small columns, whereas all those related to European nations occupy either half a page or all of it. As an Arab, like most of our population, I am quite surprised and worried by it.

Unfortunately, not a lot of people are aware that only one Arab nation has managed to qualify for the World Cup 2010: Algeria. We should all be celebrating and cheering for this country and unfortunately, it is not the case.

I went to all the malls in Seef the other day looking for T-shirts of the Algerian team. However, all I found were T-shirts of English football clubs and European teams; I did not even see one T-shirt of an Arab team, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Is this normal? It is indeed true that this particular event led to a diplomatic row between Egypt and Algeria, which is, by the way, difficult to comprehend since we are all Arabs and brothers. The Algerian players went to play in Egypt, they were attacked and badly injured. FIFA is investigating the case and will probably take strong measures against the Egyptian football association; case closed.

After this, a media frenzy started in Egypt, for either political or economical reasons (Presidential elections in 2011 or because Egyptian TV channels bought the rights for the World Cup and the fact that they did not qualify is a huge financial loss for them). Am I the only one to think that the fact that Egypt called back its ambassador in Algeria for consultations is difficult to understand and completely out of proportion? We are only talking about football.

I think it is only fair and normal that we all cheer for Algeria, which will, by the way, represent all of us, the Arabs, in the World Cup! 1,2,3, Viva Algeria! Mohamed B