Party time: Rabah Saadane, in his fifth spell as Algeria coach, celebrates leading the country to a second World Cup finals

Algeria's World Cup record: 1982 1st rd, 1986 1st rd.

How Algeria qualified for World Cup 2010: Africa Group C Play-Off.

The Coach: Rabah Saadane (Algerian, 63). Appointed: 2007. WC experience: Player: None. Coach: 1986.

Saadane is in his fifth spell as coach of the national team after earlier stints between 1981 and 2004, including leading the team in the World Cup in 1986.

The Country: After a tempestuous 2-0 defeat in Cairo, where four players were injured when Egyptian fans attacked the Algerian team bus, a play-off was needed to determine the winners of the African Group C.

The game was played in neutral Sudan and, following the 1-0 win, hundreds of thousands flooded into the streets across Algeria, celebrating with flags, fireworks and car horns.

Out of Africa, little is known about Les Verts, who reached only their third finals thanks to Antar Yahia's spectacular first half goal in Khartoum on Wednesday. The centre-half volleyed home five minutes before half-time and a solid rearguard effort in the second half kept out Egypt.

Algeria will have some familiar faces at the finals, with four of their players currently based in England. Nadir Belhadj, Portsmouth’s defender-midfielder, who arrived from Lens, is a key player.

Another recent arrival at Fratton Park, Hassan Yebda, will also be representing his country in South Africa, while former Fulham winger Hameur Bouazza, born in France and now at Blackpool, is also in the squad. And Hull City’s Kamel Ghilas, also born in France, is a well established Algerian international.

Telegraph verdict: Forced into a one-off play-off, they did it the hard way. The victory in Sudan showed they have the desire to succeed while the, at times, ugly scenes would also suggest they don’t mind mixing it. With players featuring in Europe they are gaining greater experience and will arrive in South Africa on a tide of optimism. Dangerous.