Algeria and Ramiz Zerrouki finished in the Africa Cup after three group matches

Algeria was crowned the best country on the African continent in 2019, but was unable to make any progress at the African Cup five years later. In fact, the formation of national coach Djamel Belmadi lost 1-0 to Mauritania on Tuesday evening and is therefore already finished after three games. This means that the tournament is also over for the Feyenoord midfielder and he can quickly report to Rotterdam.

Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, but the results the country subsequently achieved were disappointing. Algeria already failed in the group stage during the 2021 edition – which was played a year later due to the corona crisis – and failed to qualify for the World Championship in Qatar. The Algerians were nevertheless considered one of the title candidates at the start of the African Cup in Ivory Coast. But even two years after the disappointing edition in Cameroon, it remains only three group matches.

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After the draws against Angola (1-1) and Burkina Faso (2-2), only victory counted for Algeria in the last group match against Mauritania. Remarkably, national coach Belmadi decided to keep big names such as Riyad Mahrez, Nabil Bentaleb and Islam Slimani out of his starting team. Zerrouki did appear at the kick-off, but the Feyenoord midfielder could not prevent Mauritania from taking a 1-0 lead after 37 minutes. Mohamed Dellah Yaly suddenly received the ball at his feet, but then scored in a controlled manner.

Belmadi had seen enough after 45 minutes and brought Mahrez in at the start of the second half. With the former Manchester City attacker within the lines, Algeria went on the hunt for the equalizer, but even after the entrance of Bentaleb and Slimani, it was hardly dangerous for the Mauritania goal. Hicham Boudaoui came closest to an Algerian equalizer with a header, although he appeared to be in an offside position. On the other hand, Mauritania failed to make the second. After a far too short pass from Zerrouki, the country had the opportunity to make the decision, but Guessouma Fofana hit the crossbar.

Mauritania held out and thus provided the next surprise at the African Cup. Thanks to the victory, the country on the west coast of Africa now has three points and thus finishes in third place in group D. Angola and Burkina Faso qualify for the eighth finals as numbers one and two respectively, and Mauritania secures itself as one of the best. four numbers three from a ticket for the next round.

2024-01-23 22:03:56
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