#13. Algeria 🇩🇿
Population: 45,400,000
Nickname: The Fennec Foxes
Appearances: 20th
Last Appearance: 2021
Coach: Djamel Belmadi
Best AFCON results: winners ( 1990,2019)
Skipper: Riyad Mahrez
Player to watch: Riyad Mahrez
Region: UNAF
CAF Rankings: 4
FIFA Rankings: 30
Population: 44,700,000
Most caps: Lakhdar Belloumi (100)
Top Scorer: Islam Slimani (44)
Algeria couldn’t defend the 2019 title they
won in Egypt as they had a calamitous campaign in Cameroon in 2021. Algeria didn’t win a single match in the 2021 AFCON. They entered the tournament as an overwhelming favourite but drew 0-0 against lowly Sierra Leone and lost two games (1-0 v Equatorial Guinea) and (3-1 v Ivory Coast). Algeria surprisingly finished bottom of the group.
The Fennec Foxes will attempt to banish the ghost of the 2021 AFCON as Djamel Belmadi’s side is in fine form heading toward the 2023 AFCON.
Algeria didn’t lose a single game in 2023 as they began the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with two wins from two opening games against Somalia and Mozambique.
Algeria won 5 games and drew one in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers. Algeria has quality in abundance as stars like Riyad Mahrez, Amine Gouiri, Bentaleb, Bensabaini, Ait Nouri and Houssem Aouar continue to dazzle for their clubs.
Algeria is no doubt one of the favourites to lift the AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast.
The Core of the Team
Anthony Mandrea is Algeria’s number-one goalkeeper.
Aissa Mandi and Bensabaini are experienced defenders who will lead Algeira at the back.
Bentaleb, Chaibi and Zerrouki will be Belmadi’s first-choice midfielders as Mahrez, Gouir and Feghouli will be Algeria’s playmakers.
The experienced Islam Slimani will lead Algeria’s attack.
Probable 11
4-2-3-1
Mandrea
Atal, Aissa Mandi, Mo Tougai, Bensabaini
Zerrouki, Chaibi, Aouar
Mahrez, Gouiri, Slimani
Notable Legends
Rabah Madjer, Lakhdar Belloumi, Rabah Saadane, Mustapha Zitouni, Riyad Mahrez, Sofiane Feghouli, Djamel Menad, Cherif Oudjani
Expectations: Semi-finals
Fixtures
•Algeria v Angola
•Algeria v Burkina Faso
•Mauritania v Algeria
