There is a saying that in the best box of chocolate, there is always one that is treated as other. It is a piece that has neither the fancy sprinkles nor the familiar coating, but will get eaten when someone is bitten by sweet tooth. That piece is Algeria for the Africa’s world cup contingent.
Despite being the only team from North African side to qualify for the world cup, Algeria has flown under the radar because of the quartet of the teams from African continent- Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast. All four carry recent continental crowns, powerful European premier personalities in their packs and have all broken new grounds in world soccer. On the other hand, Algeria could not win African nations cup after 1990 and their highest profile players have rarely made the grade of European leagues.
When Algeria last made any notable impression at world level none of present squad was even born. Algeria in 1982 however shocked West Germany and went on to beat Chile. Despite the two major wins, Algerian bid for higher grade was put paid through a very controversial Austria-West Germany match - many considered as “fixed”. The match was dubbed as “Disgrace of Gijon” where the neighbors colluded to suffocate deserving Algeria out of the race letting West Germany win 1-0.
Algeria in 1986 and 2010 also failed to advance from group stage. In 2014 Brazil world cup drawn with Belgium, Russia and South Korea, their prospects might seem slim but are markedly better than four years ago when they failed to score a goal in South Africa and finished bottom of their group.
Two successive world cup appearances would have seemed almost impossible a decade ago, but Algeria have made a swift return from the doldrums to again take a prominent role in African soccer. They now have high hopes of getting past the group stage in Brazil, having set themselves the ambitious target of a place in the knockout round at the fourth attempt.
Civil and political turmoil coupled with years of poor returns for the Algerian national side had left the Arabic-speaking country a pale shadow of the team that had been among the early standard-bearers for the African game and had beaten West Germany at the 1982 world cup. Their surprise progress to the 2010 finals, after upsetting heavily fancied Egypt in a qualifying play-off, marked a dramatic change of fortune on which they have succeeded in building a more settled and confident team.
Algeria has constructed their side around a swathe of French-born players, drawn from the massive migrant population in Europe. Many of them switched allegiance after playing for France at junior level. While Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema slipped through their grasp. These days’ players with Algerian connections in top European leagues are actively courted in an attempt to strengthen the squad.
Among the new recruits are 19-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, who won his first cap in March in a friendly with Slovenia, having represented France once at under-19 level, and uncapped Leicester midfielder Riyad Mahrez.
The squad is under the control of an experienced coach who played in the 1982 world cup finals for Yugoslavia, 61-year-old Vahid Halilhodzic. The Franco-Bosnian has an impressive coaching CV with experience in seven countries including Algeria and was unfortunate not to have taken Ivory Coast to the finals in 2010 when he was sacked after getting them there. He is under no illusions about Algeria's chances, but has said a place beyond the first round for the first time is a realistic target.
Striker Ishak Belfodil of Italian club Livorno is the only major surprise of those left out. Disciplinary problems have marked his brief international career, which began last August in a friendly against Guinea.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Azzedine Doukha (USM El Harrach), Rais Mbolhi (CSKA Sofia), Cedric Si Mohamed (CS Constantine), Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (USM Alger)
Defenders: Essaid Belkalem (Watford), Madjid Bougherra (Al Lekhwiya), Liassine Cadamuro (Mallorca), Faouzi Ghoulam (Naples), Rafik Halliche (Academica Coimbra), Nacereddine Khoualed (USM Alger), Aissa Mandi (Stade Reims), Carl Medjani (Valenciennes), Djamel Mesbah (Livorno), Mehdi Mostefa (Ajaccio)
Midfielders: Nabil Bentaleb (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryad Boudebouz (Bastia), Yacine Brahimi (Granada), Abdelmoumene Djabou (Club Africain), Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia), Adlene Guedioura (Crystal Palace), Foued Kadir (Stade Rennes), Amir Karaoui (Entente Setif), Mehdi Lacen (Getafe), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City), Saphir Taider (Inter Milan), Hassan Yebda (Udinese)
Forwards: Rafik Djebbour (Nottingham Forest), Nabil Ghilas (Porto), Islam Slimani (Sporting), El Arabi Soudani (Dinamo Zagreb).
Player to Watch
Algeria is emerging as a force in African football, with an exciting crop of young players coming through the ranks- and Islam Stimani could prove to be the best of the lot.
A 25 year old Sporting Lisbon striker only made his international debut in 2012. He has already scored 9 goals in 17 games, including 5 strikes in 7 world cup qualifying matches. At 187 cm he has a strong physical presence and leads from the front, works hard when his team is not in possession and strives to win the ball back in attacking positions. On the ball he has good technique, he holds the ball up well and is a real threat in the air.
BDST: 0936 HRS, JUNE 3, 2014
