Before facing the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire this Thursday, January 20, the coach of the Fennecs sent a strong message to his troops. A message of remobilization.
Algeria plays its survival in the AFCON 2021. The Fennecs must beat the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire this Thursday, January 20, to qualify for the last 16. If not, it's the exit door for the defending champions. '' It's not just a matter of the team winning the game, it's a matter of the team winning the game," said Djamel Belmadi. "We must absolutely win if we want to continue to exist," said the Algerian coach.
Djamel Belmadi added: "It's a big challenge. We know what it's like and we've always been there. (...) We are ready. We are motivated. The whole nation is behind us. All the lights are green to succeed and we deserve to go through. But we have to show it on the pitch.''
Algeria (1 pt), with a draw (0-0) and a defeat (0-1), is last in the group E ranking. To beat Côte d'Ivoire, they will have to overcome the inefficiency that has plagued them since the start of the tournament. We're not going to be the only ones to get the better of them," said Djamel Belmadi, "but we'll be able to do it. It was an ineffective Algeria, which lacked skill.
The Fennecs coach urged his players to come out of their slumber against the Elephants. "We know that everyone supports us, that's not new. But we know that at the end of the day we are the ones on the pitch," he said. ''It's up to us to show our strengths. We are not far away, one goal and everything can change."
