Algeria returns to World Cup after 12 years, faces Argentina

Algeria’s national team is preparing to play its first match at the finals of the World Cup after a twelve-year absence. The African side’s squad for the tournament includes well-known players such as Riyad Mahrez, Houssem Aouar, and Luca Zidane, son of the legendary Zinedine Zidane. Unlike his father, Luca chose to follow his historical roots: he is a goalkeeper, defending the goal and the honor of the Algerian national team.

Algeria’s opening opponent will be reigning world champion Argentina, whose squad continues to be led by the team’s unmatched star, Lionel Messi. The Algeria–Argentina match will take place at a Kansas City stadium that recently set a notable world record, exceeding 142 decibels. Ahead of this historic match, Algerian fans shared their expectations and hopes with Alpha News.

“Nevertheless, the Argentines are a powerful team, the best team in the world in 2022, but we also have a strong team, and we hope to beat them. I think there are a lot of good players in our team, and I don’t want to single anyone out. I support everyone and I believe that they will play great tomorrow. I don’t want to make specific predictions, but I’m sure we can surprise you. The only thing I can say for sure is that we will enter the field only with the hope of winning,” said one of the fans.

Another fan said he had come to support his team and hoped to see good football. He expressed confidence that Riyad Mahrez or Hadj Moussa could play at their best and surprise Argentina, noting that this was entirely possible, much as Morocco’s national team had managed to do against Brazil.

“It’s the Argentines who are feeling the most pressure right now. The Algerian national team plays without serious pressure – for the sake of pleasure and for the sake of those people who came to support it. Therefore, I think we can achieve a good result against Argentina, as many African teams showed excellent results against strong opponents today and yesterday,” another fan added..

As for the predictions on the score, the opinions of the fans in the stands were divided. One of them noted: “A very difficult match is expected. I predict either a 1-1 draw or a 2-1 victory for Argentina.”