Algeria concluded the second round of World Cup qualifiers with a victory over Mali (1-0) on Tuesday in a match lacking stakes. The Fennecs had already secured their place in the last qualifying round, and this match served as preparation for the upcoming play-offs. Vahid Halilhodzic, the coach of Algeria, praised the team’s performance and the generosity displayed by the players.
“It’s a very nice victory. We won with style and we deserved this victory. I really liked the generosity displayed by the players. Furthermore, I was surprised by the performance of the Mali selection which really impressed me. Despite her elimination well before this match, she applied herself and played well. This victory is the best possible preparation for the play-off matches. We were more solid than we were in our previous match against Guinea. I thank the players who finished this elimination phase on a positive note,” stated Halilhodzic.
Algeria is placed in the first hat for the final round, allowing them to avoid major African teams like Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria. However, they could potentially face Egypt in a Maghreb derby.
