Never mind the 'hand of Henry' – the 'foot of Yahia' has caused an even greater World Cup fall-out in north Africa as rioting erupted yesterday morning in Cairo. It was Algerian defender Antar Yahia's powerful right-foot volley that settled their play-off with bitter rivals Egypt in last week's contentious match.

While Irish and French politicians have traded words over their sides' encounter in Paris, Egypt has recalled its ambassador from Algiers. As if that weren't enough, the Egyptian football association has threatened to quit international football for two years in protest at the behaviour of Algerian fans and players.

Crowds approached Algeria's embassy in Cairo at dawn yesterday – a rare public demonstration in the city that ended with 11 police officers and 24 demonstrators injured.

Witnesses said 2,000 demonstrators gathered during the night and fought a running battle with police. The protest came after Cairo withdrew its envoy in Algiers on Thursday. The Egyptian youths chanted: "One, two, where's the ambassador gone to?" The play-off was triggered by Egypt winning their last qualifying game 2-0 last Saturday against Algeria, taking them level top of their World Cup qualifying group. The two sides met in Sudan's Omdurman for a play-off on Wednesday night, a neutral venue chosen by football's world governing body Fifa.

Algeria's team bus had been attacked outside the airport by Egyptian fans prior to last Saturday's match, injuring at least two players. Egypt's FA said its fans, officials and players had on Wednesday "put their lives at risk before and after the game, under threat from weapons, knives, swords and flares".

Algeria and Egypt have nurtured a bitter antagonism since a hotly contested Cairo play-off for the Italia 1990 World Cup – ultimately won by Egypt – ended in pitched brawls and the loss of an eye by the host's team doctor.