Algeria fight back to beat Niger but fail to convince under Hemdani

Algeria recovered from a goal down to defeat Niger 2-1 in a laboured friendly in Tizi Ouzou on Tuesday, but the victory did little to ease concerns over the team’s performance.

The Fennecs had been seeking a positive conclusion to the international break after narrowly avoiding a major setback in Burundi last week, when they drew 2-2 in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Instead, despite securing the win, Algeria were again unconvincing and struggled for long periods.

Niger took the lead in the 12th minute through Konan Ndri, exposing weaknesses in the Algerian defence and silencing the home crowd. Algeria were second best for much of the first half and failed to impose themselves on the match.

Their response only began after the interval. Bachir Belloumi, introduced following Ibrahim Maza’s injury, quickly became one of the most influential players on the pitch. He brought Algeria level in the 53rd minute with an excellent direct free-kick.

The hosts completed the comeback in the 72nd minute when Ramy Bensebaini converted a penalty awarded after Adil Boulbina was fouled.

Ilan Kebbal worked hard on the right flank but was unable to make a decisive impact. After the final whistle, he offered a frank assessment of a performance that left plenty of room for improvement, with the match representing the third game of Brahim Hemdani’s tenure.

Hemdani remains unbeaten since taking charge, but pressure is already beginning to build around the new coach. The team’s uneven displays, including the draw in Burundi and Tuesday’s difficult win over Niger, have raised questions despite the results.

Sohaib Nair, who made his first appearance for Algeria after being selected at right-back, urged patience with the manager. The versatile defender, who plays for AS Saint-Etienne, said Hemdani needed time to establish his approach.

“The coach has only just arrived, so we need to give him a little time to put his game plan in place. You cannot learn how to play in 15 days. We are working well, so things will improve,” said Nair.

Algeria will take the result, but the performance offered little evidence that the side have yet found consistency under their new coach. After falling behind against Niger and requiring a second-half turnaround, the Fennecs ended the break with a win but without the confidence-boosting display they had wanted.