Islam Slimani Admits Algeria Were ‘Catastrophic’ in Shock Defeat to Qatar
Algeria’s national team endured a disappointing return to action following their Africa Cup of Nations exit, falling 1-0 to Qatar in a lacklustre friendly performance in Doha.
Despite being widely tipped as favourites, the Fennecs failed to live up to expectations, producing a subdued display that left fans and players alike frustrated. Islam Slimani, one of Algeria’s most senior players, did not mince words in his post-match reflections.
“We didn’t play the match we needed to,” the Sporting Lisbon striker told Dzfoot after the game. “That’s football — sometimes we miss out. We’ll do better in the next match, inshallah.”
Algeria, who had exited the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations at the quarter-final stage following a defeat to eventual champions Ivory Coast, were hoping to bounce back with a convincing performance. Instead, they were outplayed by a Qatar side missing several regular starters.
Slimani, a key figure in Algeria’s attack, was candid in his assessment: “Sometimes nothing works. We didn’t deserve to win. It’s not a problem of talent or fitness — it was catastrophic. We didn’t underestimate Qatar, but there are just days when things don’t go your way.”
Head coach Christian Gourcuff had fielded a strong line-up, including stars such as Yacine Brahimi and Faouzi Ghoulam, but the team lacked cohesion and struggled to break down a well-organised Qatari defence. The only goal of the match came in the first half, leaving Algeria chasing shadows for much of the encounter.
The Fennecs will now look to regroup ahead of their next friendly against Oman, scheduled for March 30, as they prepare for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers set to begin in June.
