Algerian football team seeks redemption under new coach Vladimir Petkovic after disappointing 2022 results
Algeria is gearing up for two crucial World Cup qualifying matches against Botswana and Guinea, aiming to erase the memory of their last-second exit against Cameroon in the World Cup playoffs in Qatar in 2022.
Vladimir Petkovic, the 62-year-old coach who took over in February 2024, is at the helm, tasked with rebuilding the team after a period of failure, including losses in the first round of the last two African Nations Cups under Djamel Belmadi's tenure.
Petkovic, a newcomer to African football, has been learning on the job. He acknowledged that some players are in form while others are facing difficulties in the team. Key players Ismaël Bennacer and Rayan Aït-Nouri, however, are currently absent due to physical difficulties and injury respectively.
Mohamed Amoura, the 25-year-old shining with Wolfsburg, is one of the young players Petkovic is relying on. Another is Ilan Kebbal, who is returning to the Algerian national team after four years, having scored 3 goals and made 1 decisive pass in 3 Ligue 1 matches this season.
Petkovic's first game against Guinea resulted in a heavy defeat, but he is integrating new players into the squad while also trusting veterans like Aïssa Mandi and Riyad Mahrez. Mandi, aged 33, and Mahrez, aged 34, are veterans who have over 100 caps for Algeria.
Mahrez, who almost debuted at that level in Brazil in 2014, dreams of ending his international career with a World Cup. Petkovic recalled Youcef Belaili, a former Brest and Ajaccio player, for the match against Botswana. Ibrahim Maza, recruited by Bayer Leverkusen from Hertha Berlin this summer, is a young player Petkovic is betting on.
Petkovic plans to strengthen the team with new players soon. A win against Botswana at home on Thursday evening would further brighten Algeria's World Cup qualifying campaign. Algeria has won eleven games and drawn two since the defeat against Guinea, regaining the lead in the World Cup 2026 qualifying group with a better goal difference (+10) compared to Mozambique (-1).
The specific player names in the squad for the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Botswana on June 9 and Guinea on June 13 were not provided in the search results. However, Petkovic named a 26-man squad for the Algerian national football team for these crucial matches.
Despite the challenges, Algeria's World Cup dream remains alive, and they are determined to make amends for their past disappointments. The matches against Botswana and Guinea could be the stepping stones towards a brighter future for the Desert Foxes.
