Algeria Head Coach Belmadi Praises Players’ Performance in Friendly Draw

Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi praised his players’ performance in Tuesday’s 1-1 friendly draw with Tunisia in preparation for the African Cup of Nations, but said his side missed out on an opportunity to win a top-tier Arab title.

Preparations for World Cup and African Cup Qualifiers

At the press conference after the match, Belmadi said, “The match we played against Tunisia was a preparatory match for the World Cup and the African Cup qualifiers, we wanted to put the players in such difficult conditions. There is no time to waste. We are looking forward to the upcoming matches and pay great attention to the confrontation with the top 10 teams in Africa. We aim to present beautiful matches in the coming dates as we prepare for the challenges ahead.”

Qualification for African Cup of Nations

Algeria and Tunisia secured qualification for the African Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire early next year.

Reaction to Criticism

Regarding his reaction to criticism from some quarters, Belmadi said, “Everyone has the right to criticize, but he must see the level of other teams, especially those that have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. I encourage you to be wise. Avoid casual and empty conversations. For example, I hear a lot of talk about pumping new blood and other things. Care must be taken when changing formulations. I can’t change the composition too much.”

Skirmish with Tunisian Defender

Belmadi got into a skirmish with the Tunisian defender Talbi, and regarding some of the altercations that occurred during the meeting between the two teams, Belmadi said, “Sorry for the reaction. This is how the Maghreb (matches at the highest level) goes, although it is a friendly match, but we have entered into a somewhat formal atmosphere. Tunisia has the knowledge and experience and is a World Cup team that is as important as the other teams. We made several mistakes against a tactically and physically strong team. We made mistakes in the first half, but in the second we corrected the situation and controlled the whole half. We were able to win and score other goals.”