The Desert Foxes finished in the first round of their qualifying group matches one point ahead of Gambia, Senegal and Liberia, before facing off in the second round against their 1986 World Cup qualifier nemesis - the Pharaohs of Egypt.
A 3-1 win against the Pharaohs put Algeria in the driving seat, but Egypt won 2-0 in Cairo, forcing a play-off on a neutral terrain. Algeria shocked many by qualifying in a 1-0 win in Sudan.