Vahid Halilhodzic, the coach of the Algerian national team, announced a preliminary squad of 30 players for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Algeria finds themselves in Group H, alongside Belgium, South Korea, and Russia. Halilhodzic views this group as manageable for his team and believes they have a good chance of advancing if they perform well.
Speaking at a press conference in Algiers, Halilhodzic discussed his team’s prospects for the upcoming tournament. “This dream must not turn into a nightmare. We have a young team, and we need audacity to win. We are the smallest team in the group. I know the qualities and weaknesses of my team. We have nothing to lose, we must achieve something. Win a match or more and qualify. I don’t want to give the people the illusion of winning the World Cup. It’s irresponsible,” he said.
Halilhodzic also assessed Algeria’s opponents, noting the challenges they present. “We have very tough, experienced teams in our group. Korea is perhaps the most difficult. They have played ten World Cups in a row. Koreans have exceptional physical condition. They impressed me. In 2010, it’s my opinion, the group was much easier. I don’t have a player who makes the difference on his own; we have a complementary group but without an exceptional player,” he added.
Tags: Vahid Halilhodzic, Algeria, World Cup 2014, Group H, Belgium, South Korea, Russia, preliminary squad
