The essential
- Will the defending champion leave the CAN from the group stage? Algeria have 90 minutes to save themselves from a resounding elimination three years after their victory in the final against Senegal.
- The men of Djamel Belmadi face from 5 p.m. Ivory Coast, already qualified for the round of 16. Victory is mandatory to get out of Group E.
- Authors of a nightmarish start to the tournament (a draw against Sierra Leone, a defeat against Equatorial Guinea), the Fennecs have yet to score a goal despite the abundance of attacking talent.
>> Follow this meeting minute by minute
4:50 p.m. Another lawn in a deplorable state. As in these first two games, Algeria will have to play on an extremely complicated field.
4:45 p.m. The first of the group will face Egypt. Algeria is unable to calculate anything this afternoon. She must win and score. If it manages to do so with a two-goal difference and at the same time Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea draw a match, it would finish first and challenge Salah’s Egypt in the round of 16 (2nd group D behind the Nigeria). A very complicated draw.
The second of the group will challenge him the 1st of the group F (which will give its verdict this evening between Tunisia, Mali and Gambia). The third will be opposed to Nigeria.
4:35 p.m. Break bad dynamics and bad luck. After 35 games without defeat, Algeria fell last Sunday against Equatorial Guinea. Borrowed physically and not helped by the lawn, Mahrez’s teammates were unrecognizable. This afternoon, they hope to find their offensive drive, essential not to relive the nightmare of 1992. At the time already, they were holders of the title and had left the CAN from the hens by bowing among others against the Ivory Coast (3-0).
4:25 p.m. Belmadi believes in its star. True to his reputation, Belmadi united yesterday at a press conference and replied curtly to certain questions. “On the two (first) meetings, you speak to me of an Algeria unrecognizable, disorganized, I don’t agree at all, I don’t know where you got that from, or if you saw correctly. It is rather an inefficient Algeria, which lacked skill, ”he replied. “We conceded only one goal, from a set piece,” adds Belmadi. “We are going to show our moral qualities, inch’Allah. »
Its captain, Riyad Mahrez, was also “optimistic”. “The pressure, we live with, a little more pressure perhaps, given the situation, we absolutely have to win (…) But sometimes we have to go through it, it forges the group, the team , it pushes us. “.
4:15 p.m. Benrahma preferred to Feghouli. This is the only big change on the Fennecs side. Alongside the usual Bounedjah, Mahrez and Belaili, we will find West Ham winger Said Benrahma. He was preferred to the Galatasaray executive player, Sofiane Feghouli (32 and 75 caps).
4:10 p.m. The essays !
Ivory Coast : Sangaré – Aurier, Odilon, Deli, Konan – Sangaré, Seri, Kessié – Gradel, Haller, Pepé.
Algeria: Mbolhi – Atal, Bedrane, Mandi, Bensebaini – Zerrouki, Bennacer – Mahrez, Belaili, Benrahma, Bounedjah
4:05 p.m. Imperative victory. There is no calculation possible. The Fennecs are obliged to beat the leader of group E to qualify for the round of 16. If they win with a two-goal difference and at the same time Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea neutralize each other, they would even clinch a miraculous first place.
16 hours. Welcome to all. Here is undoubtedly the first big duel of this African Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Algeria are on the edge of the precipice before their final group match this afternoon against Côte d’Ivoire. Kick off at 5 p.m.