The Algeria national football team secured a 2-1 international friendly victory against Niger, overcoming an early deficit behind goals from Mohamed Belloumi and Ramy Bensebaini.
Early Deficit Tests the Fennecs in Friendly Fixture
Playing in their latest international preparation match, the Fennecs found themselves trailing early when Lecce winger Konan Ndri opened the scoring for Niger in the 12th minute. Algeria controlled the majority of possession and created several chances throughout the opening half, but failed to break through before the interval.
Belloumi and Bensebaini Score to Secure Comeback
Algeria leveled the match shortly after the restart when Mohamed Belloumi scored in the 53rd minute to make it 1-1. The comeback was completed in the 73rd minute when Ramy Bensebaini converted a penalty kick. The penalty sequence was set up following an attacking contribution from Le Mans midfielder Adil Bourabaa, who entered the match in the 61st minute to earn his first senior international cap for the Fennecs.
Squad Rotation and Injury Concerns in the First Half
Head coach Brahim Hemdani utilized the friendly to hand Paris FC winger Ilan Kebbal his first international start. Kebbal played 61 minutes after appearing only briefly during the team’s recent camp, where he was an unused substitute against Zambia and made a late appearance against Burundi. Several other Ligue 1 players featured in the lineup, including Marseille’s Himad Abdelli and Nice’s Mohammed Amoura. However, the victory was tempered by an injury to Bayer Leverkusen prospect Ibrahim Maza, who was forced off the pitch in the 40th minute due to a physical issue.
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