algeria

Manager: Rabah Saadane
Captain: Yazid Mansouri
FIFA World Ranking: 27
World Cup Appearances: 3
Best World Cup: Round 1 – 1982, 1986

Algeria Team Profile

The Algerians will end a drought of 24 years when they touch down in South Africa for the finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, after their 1-0 win over Egypt in a one-off play-off match secured their status in the biggest global sporting spectacle. They are, however, preparing for their third finals appearance after playing at the 1982 World Cup in Spain and again four years later Mexico. On both occasions, though, Algeria failed to make it past the group stages and will have their work cut out qualifying up against the might of England, the industrious USA and a tricky Slovenia. Can coach Rabah Saadane inspire Algeria to a new personal best – qualification from Group C in South Africa?

Manager

Rabah Saadane, a 64 year-old Algerian with nearly 30 yeats of managerial experience under his belt, guided Algeria to their first World Cup appearance in 24 years, but 2010 in South Africa will be his third stint as at the helm of Algeria in the finals, doing so previously back in 1982 and again in ’86, with the Algerian hierarchy recruiting Saadane’s services purely for the purpose of the finals. In all, this will be Saadane’s fifth separate stint as Algeria coach, although he’s currently enjoying his longest spell after a five year stay with the Algerian national team.

When not at the Algeria helm, Rabah Saadane has focused his international knowledge and nous on domestic football within the African and Asian continents, even masterminding an African Champions League title with Casablanca of Morocco in the 90′s. He’s man a nation clearly entrusts, but after two previous failed attempts to guide Algeria from the groups and into the knock-out stage of a World Cup, will Saadane’s plans be foiled once again for the third time in a row.

Algeria Key Players

From a nation which hasn’t participated in the finals of a World Cup in 24 years, Algeria can make use of some useful individuals, none more so than their Premiership stars. Nadir Belhadj is a bright spark down the left-flank, currently with Portsmouth, possessing plenty of pace and agility, and will provide the forwards with some decent service. In regards to Algerian forwards, Rafik Saifi, a player which plies his trade in France with FC Istres, will carry the burden of a relatively unknown Algerian attack. His 19 international goals in 60 caps makes him a stand-out forward selection for coach Rabah Saadane, although his lack of height and the fact he’s now 35 years-old could see him struggle to assert himself inside the final third against some physically able defenders. Karim Ziani, similar to Belhadj, could be a thorn in the side of some of Algeria’s Group C opponents, with his blistering pace a big asset for Algeria, but it will be central-midfielder and Algeria captain Yazid Mansouri which will look to be the calming influence on a camp which could be forgiven for simply savouring the dizzy height of a World Cup. With 65 caps to his name, Mansouri will head to South Africa with Algeria as the most capped player in the squad, although he’s never scored for his country.

Nickname: Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)

Strengths

An abundance of speed and natural agility make Algeria a tricky customer, a side no-one in their right mind should underestimate at the finals. Several of the Algerian first-team have seen their talents recruited by clubs all around Europe, thus proving Algeria have some dangerous and talented individuals. Down the wings, Ziani and Belhadj can be a nuisance, two marauding wingers with absolutely no fear when it comes to charging down the flanks. While after watching a few of their displays during qualifying, they are a team which prefer to play on the counter, putting their raw pace to good use on the break.

Weaknesses

There are more than enough niggles with the Algerians to make one seriously reconsider any potential bet, with their lack of world-classindividuals, lightweight defence and a team full of Algerian based players all a worry. However, our biggest concern with Algeria is their decision making in the final, as well as their general finishing.

We have little doubt Algeria will be a troublesome little outfit in South Africa, even against the more equipped nations. They will bomb down the flanks using their speedy wingers and full-backs to sprint past their markers and reach the touchline in a bid to deliver a good cross, but we watched several hapless performances from Algeria where their finishing was appalling. If ever a side thrived off fluffing their lines it’s Algeria. In those moments were composure and nerve are needed, we wouldn’t have any confidence in Algeria’s forward having an awful lot of either.

Of course, the lack of strength in depth is a huge negative and a factor which will eventually lead to their demise in South Africa.

Algeria Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Africa
Group: C
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-1-1
Goals Scored: 10
Goals Conceded: 4

World Cup Potential: 1/5

Algeria will show glimpses of their attacking threat, mainly be virtue of their quick breakaways, but that’s about it. Lively on the break, but unconvincing in the final third and far too weak in defence means Algeria will come unstuck soon enough. Algeria simply don’t have the required talent to remain competitive throughout, and their main aim in South Africa will be to leave with some pride in tact, hopefully by putting in some spirited displays against England and USA. We don’t see them bypassing Group C, as the USA and England look the likely candidates for qualification, while Slovenia will be the crunch game for the Algerian’s as they aim to avoid leaving South Africa empty handed. They’ll do well to pick up some points, while a shock progression into the last-sixteen stage of the competition looks just about impossible.

Algeria World Cup Betting Odds

Algeria to win the World Cup: 2000 PaddyPower

Before the World Cup the odds on Algeria were 600/1 

Official Algeria World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Fawzi Chouachi (ES Sétif)

Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef)

M’bohi Rais Ouheb (Slavia Sofia)

Defenders

Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Sétif)

Madjid Bougherra (Glasgow Rangers)

Carl Medjani (Ajaccio)

Rafik Halliche (CD Nacional)

Anther Yahia (VfL Bochum)

Haib Belaid (Boulogne)

Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth FC)

Djamel Mesbah (Lecce)

Midfielders

Hassan Yebda (Portsmouth FC)

Mehdi Lacen (Racing Santander)

Yazid Mansouri (FC Lorient)

Adlene Guedioura (Charleroi)

Ryad Boudebouz (Sochaux)

Djamel Abdoun (Nantes)

Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes)

Karim Ziani (VfL Wolfsburg)

Strikers

Abdel Kader Ghezzal (AC Siena)

Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athens)

Rafik Saifi (Istres)

Karim Matmour (Monchengladbach)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Algeria Fixtures – Group C

World Cup 2010 Group C - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

England V Algeria Preview

Kick-off: Friday, 18th June – 19:30 GMT
Stadium: Green Point Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
Group C

England

The English were slated back home following the stalemate with the United States. Robert Green stole all the limelight, especially in the back pages of the newspaper, but for all the wrong reasons after it was his blunder which handed USA an equaliser and a share of the spoils. However, with only a handful of the big teams actually excelling in the early stages, and Spain suffering a shock 1-0 loss to Switzerland on Wednesday, perhaps a little bit of perspective is needed as England prepare for their second Group C encounter against African minnows Algeria, with a win for England leaving them in pole position to qualify from the group, although, with Germany impressing everyone with their annihilation of Australia, perhaps finishing top of the group does become of more significance for Fabio Capello and England.

If we’re going to be honest and hand out a few home truths, England really shouldn’t bother turning up if they’re worried about who they’ll face in the Round of 16 phase. Granted every team wants to go as far as they can, so an easier tie in the first phase of the knock-outs is always ideal, but for England, a country which expects so much but is delivered so little, nothing less than a final will be deemed worthy, so a few scalps will need claiming along the way anyway. The problem is, do England really have the bottle needed to handle the colossal amount of pressure currently piled on top of them, as they haven’t in recent tournaments gone by despite having one of the more talented squads around.

Ahead of Friday’s crunch clash with Algeria, crunch only because England simply must win else they face some stinging backlash from the English media as well as a nervy final 90 minutes against Slovenia a few days later, Fabio Capello must make some of the biggest decisions in his England tenure when he decides where to play captain Steven Gerrard now that Gareth Barry is back from injury, who should playing the starring role alongside Wayne Rooney in attack and whether Robert Green deserves to keep the gloves, after it was his howler which cost us two points against the cocky Americans. We believe Gerrard will be deployed on the left, nullifying some of the fabulous attacking qualities the Liverpool skipper has, as Barry drops back into his familiar holdin role. Crouch will replace Heskey in attack after the latter failed to impress and score against the United States, while we hope Green retains his place in goal, although rumour has it that the West Ham keeper will lose his spot to David James.

There shouldn’t be any question of England winning this game though, against an Algeria team which looked entirely out of their depth against Slovenia, and the European’s were drastically poor themselves. If England can get their creative juices going, get the likes of Gerrard and Lampard joining attacks, Aaron Lennon charging at his defender and Wayne Rooney fired up, although there is a thin line with Rooney, then England should sail away into the night with a resounding win. We expect nothing less than a comfortable victory, the fans inside the stadium expect the same while the press back home in England will probably crucify them if they don’t.

Algeria

Algeria’s role in Group C appeared to be merely making up the numbers, although they will play a significant part in how England fare in terms of qualifying from the group. Not that coach Rabah Saadane will care an awful lot about England’s situation and goals mind, as with the gap between his team and Slovenia in first position being a mere three points, he, as well as the rest of the squad, will keep the faith that qualification from the group is still a realistic possibility and they will be going out onto the Cape Town pitch looking to bolster their own qualifying credentials and not their opposite numbers.

It is easy to forget that Algeria are still alive in kicking in this group despite falling to a 1-0 defeat in their opening game to the now Group C leaders Slovenia. It was an unfortunate lose though, with goalkeeper Faouzi Chauochi to blame for letting a vital point slip from Algerian grasps. Like his opposite number, Robert Green, Chauochi may well have been dropped but a knee injury looks set to rule him out of this contest regardless. We suppose that’s bad news for England, although it doesn’t bode well for Algeria if Chauochi is their best keeper judging by his display against the Slovenians. Back to the point at hand though, and Algeria need only a win to jump right back into qualifying contention again, although that does seem a huge ask and an unlikely outcome despite the recent heroics of Switzerland.

We had the displeasure of watching large chunks of Algeria’s game with Slovenia, and the African team were so disappointing. Ranging right the way up from goalkeeper to attackers, coach Saadane will have been furious with how his team players on the day in a game where they threw away any chance of picking up points. In fairness, their attacking play was so drab and dull, almost non-exsistent at times, that a point was the most they were ever going to get out of the game, although it does make you wonder how on earth they managed to record wins over Egypt (Winners of the African Cup of Nations) and Ivory Coast in January.

Algeria do have a couple of big named scalps under their belts in 2010, with their 3-2 victory over the Ivory Coast, who are battling away in Group G, the most notable. However, their poor team performance against Slovenia followed on from their poor showing in pre-World Cup internationals, where a 1-0 win over international lost causes UAE was all they had to brag about, as two defeats to Republic of Ireland and Serbia, both by a comfortable 3-0 scoreline, overshadowed their UAE victory immediately before heading out to South Africa.

World Cup Preview – England V Algeria Betting Tips

Match Odds:

England – 1.29 WilliamHill
Draw – 6.00 Bet365
Algeria – 15.00 VCbet

Our Prediction: England to WIN – 1.29 WilliamHill

If England don’t win this by a clear two goal margin they should pack their bags and head home now, such has been the woefulness of Algeria’s recent performances. The Algerian defence shaped up as though it would concede a large number against any nation which dared to attack them instead of messing around in the middle of the park like Slovenia did, while there’s little threat of Algeria scoring, even against fumbler Green, as they lack any attacking inspiration and have been further demoralised up front by the loss of Ghezzal through suspension, who actually looked menacing for the 15 or so minutes he was on the pitch before seeing red as a substitute.

It is, however, clear by looking at Algeria’s results this year that they do have a big performance somewhere in their locker, as victories over Ivory Coast and Egypt aren’t easy to come by. Consistency maybe an issue, while nerves may have played a part in what was the country’s first World Cup appearance since 1986, but you can only go on their last display and it was pathetic to say the least. If they play like they did against Slovenia, England will smash them for six. That is unless England somehow find a way to go backwards instead of forwards from their 1-1 draw with the United States.

Our Recommended Bet: England to Score in Both Halves – 2.20 PaddyPower

Algeria V Slovenia

Kick-off: Sunday, 13th June – 12:30 GMT
Stadium: Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
Referee: Pablo Pozo (Chile)
Group C

Algeria

Algeria surprise many when they qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after winning their play-off encounter with Egypt. This won’t be their first appearance in the finals, despite how unfamiliar the Algerian’s may have been in recent finals. In fact, this will be their first appearance since 1986 where they bowed out at the group stage for the second time in succession, and at South Africa coach Rabah Saadane will go about changing their World Cup fortunes and avoiding a hat-trick of group slumps.

It’s definitely worth pointing out that coach Rabah Saadane is the same coach which failed to drag Algeria out of their group at the 1982 and 1986 World Cup’s, and despite enjoying success as manager in Morocco when winning the African version of the Champions League, Saadane hardly inspires a great deal of confidence. Saadane has, however, been at the forefront of a successful qualifying campaign and after guiding Algeria to the finals, will have belief in his own managerial nous even if few others mirror his inner confidence.

If Algeria are to prosper in South Africa and defy the huge odds stacked against them, they’ll need to make good use of their marauding full-backs; Madjid Bourgherra and Nadir Belhadj, whom both have first-hand experience of playing against some the very best players in the world through their spells in Scotland and the Champions League, and in the English Premier League. The pair love to get forward and aid the attacks and against sides who pride themselves on their sturdy rearguards, The Desert Foxes will need all the help they can get. Up front, it would appear their stellar forward is Rafik Saifi, who plays for French club Istres. Saifi has 19 goals to his names in 62 caps and at 35 years-of-age, could very well carry some father like characteristics into camp.

We do have some major doubts surrounding the Algerian’s, ones which were compounded by some terrible displays directly before the finals. While they did ensure they went into the 2010 finals with a win under their belts, beating UAE 1-0, before that came a succession of defeats, resounding ones at that, when losing to Republic of Ireland and Serbia, both by a 3-0 scoreline. We will disregard their win over UAE completely as their opponents that day are nothing in comparison to what they’ll face in South Africa. Against Republic of Ireland and Serbia however, Algeria were utterly useless. They were a mess at the back and clueless up front. If they’re to take some positive away from these finals then it will come from this fixture, but even that looks a big ask.

Slovenia

Slovenia will be looking to improve on their one and only previous appearance in the finals, leaving the Korea/Japan World Cup in 2002 pointless. Subsequently, Slovenia missed out the following the tournament but made amends this time around after beating Russia in a play-off by virtue of the away goals rule. While their passage may now seem a tad fortunate and unconvincing, it should be known that the country boast one of the strongest defensive records heading into these finals, having conceded just six goals in their ten qualifiers.

The inspirational lead behind Slovenia’s qualifying success was coach Matjaz Kek, who in his first stint as international manager already has World Cup qualification on his CV. It was also of little surprise to hear that Kek was formerly a defender during his playing days, and his defensive nous has clearly been passed on to the Slovenia national team as they were hugely impressive during qualifying as they conceded just six goals on route to the finals. Considering two of their Group C opponents aren’t the most feared of attacking nations, Slovenia’s defensive prowess could serve them well during the group phase, and possibly beyond if they remain clinical in the final third.

The goalscoring burden will rest on Koln forward Milivoje Novakovic, who top scored with five goals during qualifying. At 6ft 4incs tall, it’s stating the obvious to claim Novakovic will be a constant threat from set-pieces and dominant in the aerial battles. For that to happen he will need his midfielders to back him up with some regular service, and in Robert Koren, Slovenia don’t just have a player which will help create opportunities for their bold figure of a forward, he can pop up with a goal or two himself despite his far from flattering return of 4 goals in 46 senior games.

With the United States awaiting Slovenia in their next Group C encounter, finalised by a tough game with England, to say everything hangs on this result against Algeria probably wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Three points in what is quite obviously their easiest assignment of the three in Group C will stand them in good stead heading into their last two encounters, as it would leave Slovenia needing only one more win, a draw if they’re lucky, to book their place in the knock-outs.

Match Odds:

Algeria – 3.60 BetFred
Draw – 3.30 Ladbrokes
Slovenia – 2.25 PaddyPower

Our Prediction: Slovenia to WIN – 2.25 PaddyPower

Slovenia look a stunning bet to overcome this Algerian tester. The fact is, Algeria probably won’t even provide Slovenia with much of a game if their recent displays in internationals are anything to go by. Granted they may well be room for improvement from the Algerian’s, but they were so poor and uninspiring against Republic of Ireland and Serbia that it amazes me how Slovenia’s price is above evens. The likelihood is Slovenia will only need one goal to clinch all the spoils, as with their defence oozing confidence after their impressive displays during qualifying, they should be more than a match for a disjointed Algeria.

Our Recommended Bet: Slovenia (HT/FT) – 4.00 WilliamHill

Algeria

Pre-World Friendly Form: WL

Republic of Ireland 3-0 Algeria
Algeria 1-0 UAE

One of England’s opponents in Group C, Algeria were thrashed by one of England’s neighbours when the travelled to Ireland to take on the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. The Irish cruised to a 3-0 win against a toothless Algeria, with the African’s messy and lacking organisation in defence. It doesn’t bode well for the Algerians, after all, Republic or Ireland are nothing in comparison to England and the fact Algeria rarely troubled the ROI goal will be a concern for coach Rabah Saadane.

Algeria did make amends in their final warm up game however, registering a 1-0 win over the United Arab Emirates thus ensuring the Algerian’s went into their first World Cup game against Slovenia with something to shout about. Wolfsburg Karim Ziani with the game’s only goal, Algeria’s one and only in their two pre-World Cup friendlies.

Argentina

Pre-World Friendly Form: W

Argentina 5-0 Canada

Diego Maradona clearly didn’t see the point in scheduling a load of friendlies in before the finals, opting instead to keep his squad fresh ahead of Argentina’s World Cup opener against Nigeria on June 12th. However, the one and only pre-World Cup friendly they did play finished with an impressive Argentine victory, smashing North Americans Canada 5-0 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Amongst the scorers was Liverpool’s Maxi Rodriguez with a brace, Benfice’s wonderkid Angel Di Maria, Man City’s Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, as Argentina ran riot in the Argentine capital.

The talk beforehand surrounding Argentina has been the wide array of striking talent Maradona has at his disposal; Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Lionel Messi and Diego Milito, and against lowly Canada, Argentina shown exactly why everyone is hyping up their chances, especially in regards to finishing the tournament with the most amount of goals scored.

Australia

Pre-World Friendly Form: WW

Australia 2-1 New Zealand
Australia 1-0 Denmark
USA 3-1 Australia

Pim Verbeek, Australia coach, pencilled in several friendlies ahead of the finals and must be under the impression that his Aussie players were rusty and needed to tweak their match sharpness before their Group D opener against three-time World Cup winners Germany. Despite obtaining a winning result in their final home international before the World Cup, Australia were ordinary at best throughout their clash with international neighbours New Zealand. However, a late strike from Holman ensured the euphoric Aussie support would say their goodbyes with celebrations. It would appear Verbeek was correct in his identification of a rusty squad as with a first pre-World Cup friendly victory under their belts, Australia recorded an impressive 1-0 win over fellow World Cup participant Denmark.

However, in their final game before facing Germany in Durban on June 13th, Australia were given a bit of a pasting by the United States, losing 3-1 to the Americans, with Tim Cahill grabbing the only Aussie goal. No longer will Pim Verbeek’s Australia head into the World Cup with immaculate, the complete opposite in fact after their USA humbling.

Brazil

Pre-World Friendly Form: W

Zimbabwe 0-3 Brazil
Tanzania – Brazil

Just the two friendlies for the five-time World Cup winners starting with a bizarre although money spinning trip to Zimbabwe in Harare. The opening exchanges went, surprisingly, the way of Zimbabwe as ‘The Warriors’ carved out a number of glorious opportunities, even walloping a shot against the woodwork. It wasn’t until 42 minutes when Brazil found some confidence, as a free-kick from left-back Michael Bastos was rifled into the top corner of the Zimbabwe net. The ‘Samba Kings’ didn’t look back thereafter and just minutes later doubled their lead through Robinho. In the second half Zimbabwe lost their erly first period swagger which seen them cause the Brazil defence all sort of problems, with Lucio in particular all over the place, and after a sweet passing move involving Baptista and Alves, Elano prodded home into an empty net to complete the rout. Hardly convincing stuff from the tournament’s second favourites but a win nonetheless, while there’s getting away from the fact that all three of Brazil’s goal were sublime.

Brazil’s second and final warm up match will be against Tanzania on June 7th. Another game they should win rather comfortably.

Cameroon

Pre-World Friendly Form: LLDD

Georgia 0-0 Cameroon
Slovakia 1-1 Cameroon
Portugal 3-1 Cameroon
Serbia 4-3 Cameroon

Paul Le Guen publicly expressed his concern over the Cameroon team by scheduling four friendlies, more than most of the remaining 31 participants. The fact none of the four went the ‘Indomitable Lions’ way leads to many an alarm bell ringing in the Cameroon camp. Against Georgia, a team which struggled throughout qualifying, Le Guen’s men could only muster a 0-0 draw, as chances were few and far between for Cameroon. Their second warm up game did see them score, although it was the scrappiest goal you’ll ever see, as Enoh’s scruffy goal levelled the scoring against a more adventurous Slovakia. Their third, arguably their most difficult on paper, was against Portugal of which they found themselves completely outclassed. A 3-1 defeat to one of the weakest Portugal teams in recent history doesn’t bode well, while Eto’s dismissal in the first half won’t have gone down too well back home whatsoever.

In their final game before the finals, Cameroon put in their best attacking display thus far but still came away with nothing to show for their efforts, with the 4-3 loss to Serbia leaving Cameroon winless after four pre-World Cup warm up matches. They were. Though, without the suspended Samuel Eto so coach Paul Le Guen can at least take some heart from Cameroon’s three goal exploits without their superstar forward on the pitch. His defence, however, has now conceded eight goals in four goals and that has to be of great concern for the coach.

Chile

Pre-World Friendly Form: WWWL

Mexico 1-0 Chile
Chile 3-0 Zambia
Chile 1-0 Northern Ireland
Chile 3-0 Israel

While Chile have played more friendlies recently than most, they exactly overextended themselves in either. Two, though, were comfortable 3-0 wins, thus reinforcing the comments made by many experts claiming Chile can and will score goals in South Africa. Zambia and Israel were both despatched with a touch of class, but their second string could only conjure a narrow 1-0 win over Northern Ireland which does have us drawing up conclusions that Chile’s strength in depth isn’t great. Even so, eight goals in four games isn’t to be sniffed at, and neither is three successive clean sheets.

Chile will be the last of two teams to take to their field in a warm up match ahead of the finals in South Africa, with New Zealand awaiting them on June 9th.

Cote d’Ivoire

Pre-World Friendly Form: WD

Paraguay 2-2 Ivory Coast
Japan 0-2 Ivory Coast

New Les Elephants coach Sven Goran Eriksson, a manager which took England to the quarter-finals at Japan/Korea in 2002, didn’t dither when selecting his sides pre-World Cup friendlies when choosing games against two South Africa-bound teams in Paraguay and Japan. Their first clash ended 2-2 with Paraguay, a game which produced as many negatives for Eriksson as positives. Ivory Coast, or Cote d’Ivoire, found chances in front of goal easy to come by although putting them away was another matter, with captain Drogba in particular wasteful. They did, though, power their way into a 2-0 lead with goals from Drogba and Bamba, but goals from Barrios and Torres cancelled out some early Les Elephants celebrations leaving Sven to ponder over his sides in complacency issues, as well as some arrogance in front of goal.

Their second and final warm up game ended in disaster despite beating Japan in a straightforward manner. Goals from Didier Drogba and Kolo Toure were enough for Sven’s Les Elephants to record a vital victory ahead of their opener against Portugal on June 16th, however, the win came at a heavy price as captain Drogba now looks destined to miss the entirety of the finals after fracturing his arm.

Denmark

Pre-World Friendly Form: LLW

Denmark 2-0 Senegal
Australia 1-0 Denmark
South Africa 1-0 Denmark

The Danes have looked in good nick during their warm up encounters despite falling to a narrow defeat in one of them. Their one loss came against Australia in a game neither side really deserved to win, but in their first run-out against African side Senegal, Denmark displayed the sort of solid, reliable and clinical traits that seen them finish above Portugal and Sweden in qualifying.

Despite fielding a strong and experienced starting eleven in their last game before the finals against South Africa, Denmark fell to pretty shocking 1-0 defeat to the hosts South Africa. The Danes were toothless and wasteful in front of goal and paid the price with defeat. It leaves Olson’s Danes winless once again following their 1-0 loss to Australia days earlier. Far from ideal form heading into a game against Holland on June 14th.

With 31 players from the Premier League involved in the African Cup of nations, the terrible tragedy of the attack on the Togo team bus, has lead clubs to call for their players to come back. Togo and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor was on the bus that was attacked with gunfire, but escaped without physical injury. But because of the tragedy, Toga has decided to pull out from the African Cup of Nations. World Cup boss Danny Jordaan has insisted that there is nothing to be fearful of in terms of safety surrounding the 2010 World Cup, despite the ramifications that this attack will have brought about. If everything stopped after tragedies, then nothing positive would ever get accomplished. Togo’s first match in the African Cup of Nations would have been against Ghana on Monday.

The African Cup of Nations, started on Sunday, January 10th with a match between hosts Angola and Mali, which ended in an incredible 4-4 draw, gave a glimpse of just how exciting African football is. The CAF, the governing body of African football has pressed ahead with the tournament, although it is likely that 2010 will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Still, with the cream of African football on display in Angola, it does offer a good insight into how the top African nations may fare at the World Cup 2010. Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon are all heading down to South Africa in June for the World Cup, and the England management staff, as well as other nations and scouts from club levels, will no doubt be keeping a keen eye on the competition. Here we will take a look at just how this valuable preparation can be for the African teams involved in the World Cup. Unlike most other nations in the World Cup, the Africans have the chance to play competitive football.

IVORY COAST – 28/1 at BetFred
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Their star player is Chelsea’s Didier Drogba of course. They are seen as Africa’s strongest hopes in getting to the World Cup finals. How realistic that is though, remains to be seen. They got the roughest draw of the African nations, being lined up in a group alongside Brazil and Portugal. Their opening World Cup match against Portugal, could be the crunch one of the group, as many will expect that will almost be a second place play-off. The Ivory Coast failed to make too much of an impact in their last World Cup outing, but should be a lot stronger this time around. It didn’t help that they were in a group with Holland and Argentine, and again then have gotten the short straw by being in the same group as Brazil and Portugal. Still, Les Elephants can be more than a handful themselves, and as favourites for the African Cup of Nations, if they win that, they will have a lot to build upon. Qualification for the World Cup was a breeze for them, with Didier Drogba in the thick of things, banging in six goals in five qualification matches. They have big names playing across Europe and if they can get their noses in front by beating Portugal in their opening match, they could be good quality for at least a quarter final visit.

GHANA – 80/1 at Totesport
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Michael Essien is the stand out player in the Ghana side, as well as being arguably one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. The Black Stars are probably a more accomplished side than the Ivory Coast. The difference between Ghana and the other African nations, is that they play probably less of an attacking, but more of an accomplished all round game. They made the biggest impact at Germany 2006, despite losing to both Germany and Italy, and the midfield is where they are strongest. Essien contributes a lot of that, and that is the strengths they should play for. They do have quality up front as well, but probably play the tightest game of the African participants. They have won the African Cup of Nations four times in their history, and they got stronger through qualification for the World Cup as it went. They can seriously challenge for the African Cup of Nations along with Ivory Coast, and they are growing in stature and ability. They were a young side at Germany 2006, and are therefore much more experienced. A good draw in the group stages for them, and if they hit the ground running, they can be dangerous.

ALGERIA – 500/1 at Paddy Power
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Arguably the weakest of the African nations in the World Cup, but they did beat African Cup of Nations champions Egypt in a play-off to reach the finals. It has been a while since they have been on the world stage, and have landed a relatively nice draw in England’s World Cup Group. They should be able to make some kind of challenge against the USA and Slovenia. They have won the African Cup of Nations once, and their last World Cup appearance was at Mexico ‘86. They qualified the hard way for the world cup, looking impressive at home, but not so good away. They will probably be outclassed by England, and Slovenia should have the technical ability to play through them. May prove to be more stubborn opponents than creating any great upsets, as in truth they probably aren’t as strong as the team they stepped over to reach the World Cup finals, Egypt.

CAMEROON – 110/1 at SkyBet
Group E: Holland, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
We all know about Cameroon and the colour and flair they have brought to World Cup tournaments in the past. Who can forget England’s classic match against them in the quarter final of 1990, with the likes of Roger Milla and Omam Biyik in the side. They were all about attacking then, playing with a passionate and carefree flow, and much of that ethos still remains today. They are the highest ranked team from the African continent according to FIFA, and have the ability to create danger for a lot of teams again. They haven’t managed to break out of the group stages though in their previous three attempts at the World Cup, but like Ivory Coast, a win at the African Cup of Nations will instil a lot of belief. This is the advantage of playing competitive football ahead of a World Cup. They were the beaten finalists in the previous African Cup of Nations, losing to Egypt, and they qualified for South Africa easily enough. They have a good mix of experience and youth, and with Samuel Eto’o up front, there is always a chance for some goals (he hit 9 in 11 qualifying matches).

NIGERIA – 100/1 at Boylesports
Group B: Argetina, Korea Republic, Nigeria, Greece
Seem to be flying under the radar a bit, especially when compared to the hype surrounding Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Ghana. There is a good reason for this, the Nigerians are not as good as they used to be. The Super Eagles were the top African side for some time, but their most recent World Cup performances have left little to bring about too much hope of a revival anytime soon. They struggled with qualification for South Africa 2010, quite surprisingly. They had to rely on other results going their way, and is a mark of just how much they have fallen behind on the African Continent. They are being tipped to make a mark in the African Cup of Nations, but when it comes to the World Cup, it is a different matter completely in terms of class. Chelsea’s Jon Obi Mikel will be the centre point in the midfield, and one thing about them, is that they can score goals. In fact, they have quite an attack minded team. That will probably mean plenty of gaps at the back for their opponents to expose though.

SOUTH AFRICA – 150/1 at Coral
The host nation, sadly are not in any great form ahead of the World Cup. The World Cup itself, generally needs the host nation to stay in, as it just adds to the whole vibe of the proceedings. That is often the pitfall of hosting the tournament, as you don’t have to qualify, there is lack of competitive football building up to the big event. While this World Cup will historically be the first on African soil, it is hard to see South Africa making any kind of impact. They have looked a long way short in the few friendly games they played last year, they have changed coach, but they still do not look much of a threat. Maybe when the home crowd are behind them, some of their desire and motivation may translate into some extra effort and skill. After being in the international football wilderness for a long time, when they came back they won the African Cup of Nations at their first try, brining a great deal of hope to the Rainbow Nation. But things never developed quite as well, and they never really built on that success. They did battle well in the FIFA Confederations cup last year, held in South Africa and that will give the home fans some hope, although they know that they will need to develop a cutting edge up front. Everton’s Steven Pienaar is the fulcrum of the side, but they will have a tough time getting out of their group.

While it may be a stretch that one of the African sides are going to win the tournament, you can comfort yourself with a good bet on the Top African Side at World Cup 21010:
Ivory Coast – Evens at Totesport
Ghana – 9/2 at SkyBet
Nigeria – 11/2 at Victor Chandler
South Africa – 16/1 at Totesport
Algeria – 40/1 at SkyBet

Manager: Rabah Saadane
Captain: Yazid Mansouri
FIFA World Ranking: 27
World Cup Appearances: 3
Best World Cup: Round 1 – 1982, 1986

Algeria Team Profile

The Algerians will end a drought of 24 years when they touch down in South Africa for the finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, after their 1-0 win over Egypt in a one-off play-off match secured their status in the biggest global sporting spectacle. They are, however, preparing for their third finals appearance after playing at the 1982 World Cup in Spain and again four years later Mexico. On both occasions, though, Algeria failed to make it past the group stages and will have their work cut out qualifying up against the might of England, the industrious USA and a tricky Slovenia. Can coach Rabah Saadane inspire Algeria to a new personal best – qualification from Group C in South Africa?

Manager

Rabah Saadane, a 64 year-old Algerian with nearly 30 yeats of managerial experience under his belt, guided Algeria to their first World Cup appearance in 24 years, but 2010 in South Africa will be his third stint as at the helm of Algeria in the finals, doing so previously back in 1982 and again in ’86, with the Algerian hierarchy recruiting Saadane’s services purely for the purpose of the finals. In all, this will be Saadane’s fifth separate stint as Algeria coach, although he’s currently enjoying his longest spell after a five year stay with the Algerian national team.

When not at the Algeria helm, Rabah Saadane has focused his international knowledge and nous on domestic football within the African and Asian continents, even masterminding an African Champions League title with Casablanca of Morocco in the 90′s. He’s man a nation clearly entrusts, but after two previous failed attempts to guide Algeria from the groups and into the knock-out stage of a World Cup, will Saadane’s plans be foiled once again for the third time in a row.

Algeria Key Players

From a nation which hasn’t participated in the finals of a World Cup in 24 years, Algeria can make use of some useful individuals, none more so than their Premiership stars. Nadir Belhadj is a bright spark down the left-flank, currently with Portsmouth, possessing plenty of pace and agility, and will provide the forwards with some decent service. In regards to Algerian forwards, Rafik Saifi, a player which plies his trade in France with FC Istres, will carry the burden of a relatively unknown Algerian attack. His 19 international goals in 60 caps makes him a stand-out forward selection for coach Rabah Saadane, although his lack of height and the fact he’s now 35 years-old could see him struggle to assert himself inside the final third against some physically able defenders. Karim Ziani, similar to Belhadj, could be a thorn in the side of some of Algeria’s Group C opponents, with his blistering pace a big asset for Algeria, but it will be central-midfielder and Algeria captain Yazid Mansouri which will look to be the calming influence on a camp which could be forgiven for simply savouring the dizzy height of a World Cup. With 65 caps to his name, Mansouri will head to South Africa with Algeria as the most capped player in the squad, although he’s never scored for his country.

Nickname: Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)

Strengths

An abundance of speed and natural agility make Algeria a tricky customer, a side no-one in their right mind should underestimate at the finals. Several of the Algerian first-team have seen their talents recruited by clubs all around Europe, thus proving Algeria have some dangerous and talented individuals. Down the wings, Ziani and Belhadj can be a nuisance, two marauding wingers with absolutely no fear when it comes to charging down the flanks. While after watching a few of their displays during qualifying, they are a team which prefer to play on the counter, putting their raw pace to good use on the break.

Weaknesses

There are more than enough niggles with the Algerians to make one seriously reconsider any potential bet, with their lack of world-classindividuals, lightweight defence and a team full of Algerian based players all a worry. However, our biggest concern with Algeria is their decision making in the final, as well as their general finishing.

We have little doubt Algeria will be a troublesome little outfit in South Africa, even against the more equipped nations. They will bomb down the flanks using their speedy wingers and full-backs to sprint past their markers and reach the touchline in a bid to deliver a good cross, but we watched several hapless performances from Algeria where their finishing was appalling. If ever a side thrived off fluffing their lines it’s Algeria. In those moments were composure and nerve are needed, we wouldn’t have any confidence in Algeria’s forward having an awful lot of either.

Of course, the lack of strength in depth is a huge negative and a factor which will eventually lead to their demise in South Africa.

Algeria Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Africa
Group: C
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-1-1
Goals Scored: 10
Goals Conceded: 4

World Cup Potential: 1/5

Algeria will show glimpses of their attacking threat, mainly be virtue of their quick breakaways, but that’s about it. Lively on the break, but unconvincing in the final third and far too weak in defence means Algeria will come unstuck soon enough. Algeria simply don’t have the required talent to remain competitive throughout, and their main aim in South Africa will be to leave with some pride in tact, hopefully by putting in some spirited displays against England and USA. We don’t see them bypassing Group C, as the USA and England look the likely candidates for qualification, while Slovenia will be the crunch game for the Algerian’s as they aim to avoid leaving South Africa empty handed. They’ll do well to pick up some points, while a shock progression into the last-sixteen stage of the competition looks just about impossible.

Algeria World Cup Betting Odds

Algeria to win the World Cup: 2000 PaddyPower

Before the World Cup the odds on Algeria were 600/1 

Official Algeria World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Fawzi Chouachi (ES Sétif)

Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef)

M’bohi Rais Ouheb (Slavia Sofia)

Defenders

Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Sétif)

Madjid Bougherra (Glasgow Rangers)

Carl Medjani (Ajaccio)

Rafik Halliche (CD Nacional)

Anther Yahia (VfL Bochum)

Haib Belaid (Boulogne)

Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth FC)

Djamel Mesbah (Lecce)

Midfielders

Hassan Yebda (Portsmouth FC)

Mehdi Lacen (Racing Santander)

Yazid Mansouri (FC Lorient)

Adlene Guedioura (Charleroi)

Ryad Boudebouz (Sochaux)

Djamel Abdoun (Nantes)

Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes)

Karim Ziani (VfL Wolfsburg)

Strikers

Abdel Kader Ghezzal (AC Siena)

Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athens)

Rafik Saifi (Istres)

Karim Matmour (Monchengladbach)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Algeria Fixtures – Group C

World Cup Group C - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

World Cup Group of Algeria

Africa

The winners of each group will qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the top three in each group will qualify for the African Cup of Nations.

Upcoming Fixtures

There are still plenty of games left to play. Most sides have three fixtures left to go but Gabon and Cameroon in Group A still have four remaining fixtures.

This means there are no teams in the African side of the draw already qualified for the tournament next year.

Group A

05/09/2009 – Gabon V Cameroon
05/09/2009 – Togo V Morocco

Group B

06/09/2009 – Mozambique V Kenya
06/09/2009 – Nigeria V Tunisia

Group C

05/09/2009 – Rwanda V Egypt
06/09/2009 – Algeria V Zambia

Group D

06/09/2009 – Benin V Mali
06/09/2009 – Ghana V Sudan

Group E

05/09/2009 – Malawi V Guinea
05/09/2009 – Ivory Coast V Burkina Faso

Group Summary’s

Group A

Group A is arguably the toughest group to call. Each of the four sides have the potential and ability to compete to a high standard at the World Cup next year and it would take a brave punter to call this group. Surprisingly, it’s Gabon who lead the way after two successive victories while Cameroon are left stranded at the foot of the table with just the one point from their opening two fixtures.

Togo and Morocco have each played a game more but both find themselves well in contention for a berth into next years finale. However, with Morocco playing a game more then leaders Gabon, they will probably need maximum points from their remaining games. The same can be said for every side to be honest as one slip up could cost any side.

Group B

Tunisia will be the more confident of nations at the midway point as they occupy first position, but only by a two point margin. Two wins and one draw mean they’ve yet to taste defeat although the same can be said for Nigeria who have drawn two of their three opening fixtures with their only win coming at home to Kenya.

Although you don’t like to discount any teams too early, it does look a two-way battle for that solitary qualification spot into the World Cup. Not only do Kenya and Mozambique fin themselves several points astray of the leading pair but they also lack the quality to win all of their remaining games, which will be required to qualify you would think.

Group C

Algeria will be confident of a place in South Africa after they lead the way after three games played. They currently lead the way at the top with Egypt and Zambia trailing in second and third respectively. Algeria are three points ahead of the challenging pair which means two wins from their remaining three fixtures could be enough to secure a place in the World Cup.

Unfortunately for Rwanda, qualification for the World Cup looks all but gone. They’ve picked up just the single point from their three games and would need a miracle to qualify from the position they’re in. They will still want to qualify for the African Cup of Nations though so don’t expect them to roll over.

Group D

It comes as no surprise that Ghana head Group D as they were a short priced favourite to win the group. They are one of just two sides to maintain a 100% record in the third round of qualifying for the World Cup and their spot in Africa next year looks all but sealed providing they don’t take their foot off the gas.

Mali, Benin and Sudan will now have to concentrate on booking a spot in the African Cup of Nations as all three trail Ghana. Mali currently hold second spot with four points and are five points behind Ghana at the top. Benin have added three points while Sudan have struggled throughout with just one point and sit rock-bottom at the halfway stage.

Group E

Ivory Coast may look home and hosed but Burkina Faso may have something to say about that. The latter find themselves three points adrift of leaders Ivory Coast but three successive victories in their three remaining games would see them qualify barring they outscore Ivory Coast. However, the Ivory Coast beat Burkina Faso on their own turf and it does look a big ask for Faso to get a result on Ivory soil.

Guinea will want to register a few more points to secure a place in the African Cup of Nations while bottom side Malawi have been the beating boys in this group. They have yet to notch up any points and have shipped eight goals in their opening three qualifying games.

Qualifying Favourites

Group A

Pick a favourite at your peril. This group is wide open with any of the four sides still potential a World Cup outfit. Gabon lead the way but they still have to win a few more games before they can even start thinking about a possible World Cup place. They thrashed Togo 3-0 on home soil and beat Morocco in front of the Moroccan fans and with the other countries results not looking good on paper, Gabon look the value right now.

Group B

Tunisia is where our money would go in what looks a lacklustre group. Nigeria are not the force they were a decade ago while Kenya and Mozambique need to spring several shocks in order to drag themselves back into contention. Tunisia have a knack of qualifying for the World Cup and they’re our favourites in Group B.

Group C

Algeria have been very impressive in the early stages. Victories over Zambia and Egypt have left them in good stead but Egypt have several potential match winners in their squad and the Egyptians only find themselves three points behind Algeria at the top. The key game will be the Egypt V Algeria game in Egypt and it’s the last game of the group. That could very well be a winner takes all game.

Group D

It’s very hard to oppose Essien & Co. Ghana take a handsome lead into the second half of qualifying and have put a five point gap between themselves and their nearest challenger in Mali. One more victory could be enough for Ghana to book their ticket and we can’t see anything but a Ghana celebration.

Group E

You would like to think that Ivory Coast will fill the last African qualifying spot although Burkina Faso could spoil the party. However, the Ivory Coast is a team full of quality and providing they keep their players fit, they should sail through to the world cup.