Arab Cup: Palestine edge Algeria A’ in hard-fought revenge victory

Palestine avenged their earlier defeat to Algeria A’ with a narrow 1-0 win, capitalising on defensive lapses to claim a hard-earned victory in a tightly contested encounter.

Algeria’s coach, Madjid Bougherra, made sweeping changes to his line-up for the rematch, opting to test new combinations ahead of future competitions.

Only Abada retained his place from the previous game, as Bougherra introduced ten fresh faces to his starting eleven.

Hadid started in goal, supported by a defensive quartet of Abada, Chetti, Azzi and Benchaâ.

In midfield, Draoui, Benguit and Dehiri formed the central trio, while Kolli, Meziane and Bouzok led the attack.

Despite dominating possession from the outset, Algeria struggled to turn their control into clear-cut chances.

Bougherra’s men pressed high, circulated the ball with confidence and frequently threatened down the flanks.

Bouzok’s early incursion in the 12th minute and Chetti’s lively overlap four minutes later hinted at promise, but Palestine’s backline responded with resilience, repeatedly intercepting at crucial moments.

It was the visitors, however, who created the first major opportunity of the match.

A swift counterattack in the 19th minute forced goalkeeper Hadid into an alert save from close range.

Moments later, Palestine came even closer through a thunderous free kick that Hadid palmed away spectacularly.

But their persistence paid off before half-time when a long ball from deep caught the Algerian defense flat-footed.

A mix-up between Hadid and Benchaâ allowed a Palestinian striker to sneak in and cleverly chip the ball over the advancing goalkeeper for the game’s only goal.

In the second half, Algeria’s dominance intensified but their finishing let them down.

The match turned into a siege, with wave after wave of Algerian attacks being repelled by a compact and disciplined Palestinian defense.

Substitutions brought renewed energy — Sayoud, Boulbina, Bayazid, Berkane and Mrezigue all entered the fray — yet the breakthrough never came.

Despite their territorial control and numerous half-chances, the North Africans were undone by a lack of precision in the final third.

Palestine, under coach Abu Jazar, held firm under sustained pressure to secure a statement victory.

The result leaves Bougherra with plenty to reflect on as Algeria prepare to defend their Arab Cup title next month in Qatar.

For Palestine, this hard-fought win marked both redemption and a testament to their growing competitive edge.