2026 World Cup: after Jordan, Petkovic faces decision time with Algeria

Ramiz Zerrouki starting in midfield, in place of Nabil Bentaleb. The Mandi-Bensebaïni pair is maintained in central defense, with Aït Nouri on the left, while the young Ibrahim Maza is positioned one step higher to drive the play. Riyad Mahrez returns to the starting eleven, at the expense of Anis Hadj Moussa on the right wing. Farès Chaïbi and Amine Gouiri, meanwhile, keep their spots in attack. Here is what the Fennecs coach lined up in order to overturn Jordan 2-1 this June 23, 2026. Bold and effective choices, as the Algerians seize 2nd place behind Argentina, who are qualified and certain to finish first.

Positive

Overall, the gamble paid off. Maza was one of the most active players of the match, repeatedly making runs in the second half, and Gouiri, left up front, ended up scoring the winning goal in the 82nd minute. Mahrez, for his part, gave up his place as early as the 78th minute to... Hadj Moussa, the very player he had replaced in the starting lineup, a sign that Petkovic also knew how to adjust during the match when the captain's impact faded. Note that Mahrez provided the assist for Benbouali’s equalizer (69th), who came on at halftime.

This victory opens up several avenues of reflection for the coach before the decisive clash against Austria on matchday three. Zerrouki has cemented his place: his solid performance in midfield should logically keep him ahead of Bentaleb going forward, while Maza gained more freedom in a more attacking role.

The Mahrez - Hadj Moussa duel remains open: the captain started, but it was his substitute who finished the match with more impact in the closing exchanges. Petkovic will have to decide between Mahrez’s experience and Hadj Moussa’s energy for the crunch time.

Gouiri confirms his status as an attacking reference after his decisive goal in the 82nd, alongside Chaïbi.

The Mandi - Bensebaïni - Zidane uncertainty remains: the defense, shaky against Argentina, once again struggled on Jordan’s opening goal before recovering, a warning sign before facing an Austrian attack led by Arnautovic and Sabitzer.

The stakes of June 27

The Algeria - Austria match will be played on Saturday, June 27 at 7pm GMT in Kansas City. With Argentina already qualified, Austria is Algeria’s direct rival for second place in the group (3 points each), which directly qualifies for the next round, with the additional possibility of a playoff among the best third-place teams for whoever finishes in that position.
It goes without saying that Petkovic’s choices in the coming days—Mahrez or Hadj Moussa, Bentaleb or Zerrouki—will be closely watched.