Algerian team determined to beat Liberia

08/10/2008

Algeria's national football team is preparing for a critical match against Liberia on Saturday in the Africa Cup of Nations and 2010 World Cup qualifiers. The greens need the three points from a win to proceed in the tournament.

By Lyes Aflou by Magharebia in Algiers – 08/10/08

[Getty Images] Algerian football fans have mixed feelings about their national teams match against Liberia on Saturday.

The Algerian national football team is travelling to Liberia on Thursday (October 9th) to prepare for a Saturday match in the combined qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations and 2010 World Cup. The encounter is of vital importance to Algeria's future in the tournaments. The greens will have to gain the upper hand to ensure that they qualify for the next round without having to rely on poor showings from their rivals, especially Senegal, who will face Gambia at home.

The team has had little time to prepare since the players have been busy with matches in their own leagues in Algeria and abroad, making it difficult for them to train together. But this does not unduly worry their manager, Rabah Saadane, since the players have become more competitive within their own clubs. Just five days of training are scheduled for the team, with three sessions in Algiers at the Rouiba facility and then two in Monrovia.

Saadane, who appeared at a press conference on Monday in Algiers, described how the team is feeling in the run-up to next week's match. "We have to win this match. That's the frame of mind with which we need to set off for Liberia. We're going there to win, nothing else matters." He added that the most important thing for the team was to focus on this goal, but expressed concerns regarding the high humidity level of 85% and the vagaries of African refereeing.

Showing measured optimism, Saadane said he was certain that his team could come back from Liberia with three valuable points. "We haven't qualified yet and now we have to go to Liberia to pull it off."

"When the draw took place," he continued, "people said we would need 12 points to get through. To hit that target we need another three points."

However, he warned against too much optimism. "I gather a lot of people think we're in for an easy ride on Saturday and that Algeria is already through to the third round. Frankly, I don’t share that view at all. Liberia is at the bottom of the group but you have to remember that they haven't lost a single match at home so far. They were down two goals to zero against the Senegalese but managed to claw their way back and tied 2-2."

As for the players, they will have to get by without the help of central defender Antar Yahia, who plays for VFL Bochum in Germany, as he has been suspended for picking up yellow cards in previous matches. Otherwise, continuity will be the order of the day. Saadane has opted to play the eleven which beat Senegal soundly a few weeks ago.

The team's supporters have mixed feelings about the match. Some are rallying behind the national team out of a sense of nostalgia for the glory days of Algerian football in the 1980s, while others feel that this period is well and truly over, given the mediocre showings of the current team.

"The last game against Senegal restored our faith that the team will do good things," said Redha, a cook and devoted football fan. "We've been deprived of success for such a long time."

However, shopkeeper Amar Moussi said that "this team doesn’t have the makings of a championship-winning side. A great team delivers good results consistently, but this team is a rollercoaster. I'm not under any illusions about this next match. We can't bank on a win abroad."