Algeria
Group : H with Belgium, Russia and South Korea
Current Fifa Ranking : 26th with 800 points
World Cup Appearances : 1982, 1986 and 2010
Best Achievement : First Round
Head Coach : Vahid Halilhodzic
Captain : Madjid Bougherra
After beating Burkina Faso, Algeria was the last nation to qualify for the tournament from Africa. Their previous World Cup experiences were not as positive as they ended last place in their previous two World Cup’s group stage, meaning that an overall improvement in all areas is imperative.
A tough group lies ahead for the Algerians as each opponent is potentially tougher than them, and they will not want to leave the tournament branded as their group’s whipping boys. Head coach Vahid Halilhodzic has had a great hand in the Foxes’ upturn in fortunes ever since he’s been assigned to lead and manage, and with further preparation this squad may compete properly for advancement.
Lekhwiya centre back Madjid Bougherra is the right experienced national player to be assigned with the armband as he’s proven to be a great leader on the pitch during the qualifiers. He’ll be joined and assisted by Parma’s Djamel Mesbah to make sure the back line is rigid. Inter Milan pair Saphir Taider and Ishak Belfodil provide that spark in midfield, whilst Valencia’s Sophiane Feghouli is quite inspirational at times, described by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as an exceptional player to look out for.
On the realistic side of things, progression for the Foxes shall be tough in a group which also consists of Belgium and Russia. Should complacency and injuries be cast aside, Algeria could turn out to be a stern test for every opponent, stern enough to possibly grab enough points to ensure second place, maybe even first should lady luck be smiling upon them in Brazil.
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