Algeria Suffer Narrow Defeat to Qatar in First Post-AFCON Friendly
Algeria’s national team, under coach Christian Gourcuff, faced a disappointing 1-0 loss to Qatar in their first outing since their quarter-final exit at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. The friendly match, played on Thursday, highlighted areas where the Fennecs must improve ahead of the 2017 CAN qualifiers starting next June.
Gourcuff fielded a strong side featuring key players such as Riyad Mahrez, Nabil Bentaleb, Faouzi Ghoulam, and Yacine Brahimi. Despite their status as one of Africa’s top teams, Algeria struggled to assert themselves against Qatar, who are currently preparing for the 2022 World Cup on home soil.
The match’s decisive moment came in the 32nd minute when Qatar’s Abdulaziz Hatem Baqer scored the only goal. Algeria found it difficult to respond and displayed worrying signs in their overall performance.
The Algerian Football Federation shared their disappointment on social media, highlighting the need for improvements as the team looks ahead to their next friendly against Oman on March 30, which offers a chance for redemption.
Algeria Starting XI: Doukha – Mandi, Medjani (c), Chafaï, Ghoulam – Mahrez, Taïder, Bentaleb, Rachid Ghezzal – Slimani, Brahimi
The team’s next friendly will be critical in helping Gourcuff fine-tune his squad and tactics as Algeria prepare for a challenging qualification campaign.
