World Cup 2026: Algeria legend Islam Slimani questions Petkovic despite Jordan win

Algeria’s 2-1 victory over Jordan may have revived their World Cup campaign, but it did little to convince former striker Islam Slimani, who delivered a strong critique of coach Vladimir Petkovic and the team’s overall performances.

The Fennecs secured a hard-fought win in their second group-stage match on Monday, earning three valuable points and boosting their hopes of progressing in the tournament. However, Slimani believes the result should not overshadow what he sees as deeper issues within the national team.

Now working as a pundit for beIN Sports during the 2026 World Cup, Algeria’s all-time leading scorer expressed concern about the direction of the team despite the positive outcome.

One of his main criticisms focused on Algeria’s recurring slow starts in matches.

According to Slimani, the national team continues to struggle during first halves and often finds itself relying on improved second-half displays to rescue results.

“He’s been here for two years, but we don’t see any clear playing identity. We always start badly and then try to come back in the second half. But a match starts in the first minute. You can see there are a lot of changes in the team; he makes a lot of mistakes in his choices.”

The former striker also questioned the consistency of Petkovic’s selections, arguing that frequent changes to the starting line-up have prevented the team from developing a clear style of play.

While acknowledging the importance of the victory, Slimani suggested Algeria remain too dependent on individual moments rather than collective strength.

“We need an identity and to show that we can do better because we have good players. We rely on individual talent and we won thanks to two set pieces, but we should be doing better after two years of work.”

The former Leicester City forward believes the current squad possesses enough quality to produce more convincing performances and expects greater tactical cohesion after two years under the same coach.

Slimani also urged caution despite the morale boost provided by the comeback victory.

“This success will give the players confidence. We managed to get back into the game against a very organized Jordanian side, but things could have been much more complicated if we had faced a higher-quality opponent.

At 1-0, you can’t always come back. That’s why it’s important to get off to a good start, especially in a World Cup.”

His concerns extended beyond a single match, as he pointed to what he sees as a recurring pattern in Algeria’s recent competitive performances.

“If we look at our recent matches, apart from the friendlies, we struggle in the first half due to our choices and tactics. A team that comes to the World Cup should already have a way of playing, and in Algeria, we don’t see that.”

Although Algeria remain firmly in contention after defeating Jordan, Slimani’s comments highlight the questions that continue to surround the team as the tournament progresses. For him, the result was important, but the performance left significant room for improvement.