BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In their first match under the helm of Vladimir Petkovic, the Algerian national team faced Bolivia at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki as part of the FIFA Series 2024 friendly tournament. The former Switzerland coach started on a positive note with the Fennecs, who secured a thrilling 3-2 victory thanks to goals from Gouiri, Benzia, and Mandi.
Despite the absence of Riyad Mahrez and Ismaël Bennacer, Vladimir Petkovic opted to appoint Yacine Brahimi as captain, marking his return to the national team after two years, immediately reclaiming his place in the starting lineup.
The beginning of the match saw a relatively quiet period for both teams, with a slight advantage for the Fennecs, highlighted by two dangerous attempts from Amine Gouiri and Youcef Atal in the first 15 minutes. Gouiri’s shot hit the post, while Atal’s effort was saved by the opposing goalkeeper.
Around the 15th minute, Algerian international Ramy Bensebaini was involved in a collision with a Bolivian player, resulting in a head injury. He was subsequently substituted, with Mohamed Tougai coming on in the 19th minute.
Towards the end of the first half, Algeria’s efforts finally paid off, particularly those of Yacine Brahimi, who showcased excellent form. After dribbling past two Bolivian players, Brahimi provided a decisive pass to Amine Gouiri, who opened the scoring for Algeria in the 43rd minute.
Despite solid midfield play, as expected under Vladimir Petkovic’s tactics, Baghdad Bounedjah and Farès Chaibi had relatively average performances on Friday evening.
Second Half: Scores Reset Early On
At the start of the second half, Petkovic made a double substitution, replacing Chaibi and Bounedjah with Benzia and Amoura. However, Bolivia quickly equalized due to a defensive error from Aissa Mandi, leveling the score at 1-1.
The remainder of the match proved to be challenging for the Fennecs, with their gameplay becoming less cohesive. In the 69th minute, Bolivia took the lead with a second goal from a free-kick, exposing defensive lapses from the Algerian side.
Debut for Hadj Moussa, Bakrar, and Kendouci
Making their debut appearances for the national team, Anis Hadj Moussa and Monsef Bakrar replaced Yacine Brahimi and Amine Gouiri shortly after Bolivia’s second goal. Moments later, Nabil Bentaleb made way for Ahmed Kendouci, also making his debut. These substitutions injected new energy into the team, with Bakrar and Kendouci impressing both Petkovic and the fans.
Bakrar Assists, Benzia Scores / Mandi Redeems Himself!
One of the newcomers, Monsef Bakrar, made an immediate impact by providing a superb assist to Yassine Benzia, who equalized for Algeria on his return to the national team after several years. In stoppage time, Aïssa Mandi redeemed himself after his earlier mistake by scoring the winning goal for Algeria with a header in the 93rd minute.
Conclusion: First Victory for Algeria under Petkovic
Algeria secured their first victory under Vladimir Petkovic with a hard-fought 3-2 win, despite a challenging start to the second half. The Fennecs showed resilience to come from behind, but adjustments will be needed for their next match against South Africa next Tuesday.
Translated from: https://lagazettedufennec.com/algerie-bolivie-3-2-premiere-victoire-des-fennecs-avec-petkovic/
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