Nickname: The Desert Warriors/Les Fennecs
Previous Appearances: 16 (1968, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2015)
Best Finish: Champions (1990)
Who are they?
North African heavyweights who have underachieved over the years but finally have the squad – and particularly the attacking class – to end their two-and-a-half decade wait for a second continental crown. The players are there, but how will a recent change of manager – Georges Leekens has only overseen one match (a defeat by Nigeria) since replacing Milovan Rajevac in late October – affect the Fennecs’ chances of escaping a tough opening group?
Route to Qualification
Algeria romped through a group containing Ethiopia, Seychelles and Lesotho, bagging 16 points – winning five games – from their six matches. Admittedly, they weren’t tested too much by limited opponents, with a thrilling 3-3 draw in Addis Ababa the only slip-up. The Fennecs qualified after scoring the most goals (25), with the best goal difference (+20) and with the joint-most points (16) of any other competitor.
Definition of Success
The unsettled managerial situation has cast doubt over Algeria’s chances, although it’s worth noting that Avram Grant still took Ghana to the Final in 2015 after only a few months at the helm. In truth, with this squad, and with Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani having the potential to be the best double act at the tournament, many Algeria fans – and the nation’s rabid media – will only settle for a second African title, despite the recent upheaval!
Biggest rivals
Algeria and Egypt could meet in the semi-finals, providing one qualifies from their group in second place. If the North Africans do go head to head, there will be no love lost between them. The Fennecs’ Group B showdown with Tunisia in Franceville on January 19 also has the potential to be tempestuous, particularly considering the Carthage Eagles’ ‘gritty’ reputation, while a North African derby against Morocco could also be fiery.
Top Three players
Riyad Mahrez, forward, Leicester City
The reigning BBC African Footballer of the Year may be enduring a mixed season, but there aren’t too many African players who can claim to achieve what he did during the 2015-16 campaign. Mahrez is capable of brilliance, but how will he fare with the inevitable close and brutal attentions from Africa’s defenders?
Islam Slimani, Striker, Leicester City
While Algeria have a plethora of talented and creative midfielders, talents who would be the envy of others across the continent, they aren’t blessed when it comes to strikers, with Slimani the undisputed leading man. He scored eight goals in the space of five matches for the Fennecs at the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016, and can thrive as a pure poacher or as a more physical forward presence.
El Arabi Hillel Soudani, Forward, Dinamo Zagreb
Not one of Algeria’s most glamorous players, but certainly among their most effective! Soudani brings power to the Fennecs’ forward line, either as a central support for Slimani or wide on the left, and also knows how to find the net. He’s scored nine in his last eight matches for the North Africans, and top scored (with seven) during Afcon qualification.
Who brings the African league flavour?
Leekens included six domestic-based players in his provisional 32-man squad list, although it remains to be seen how many of them will make the final cut, let alone see some action at the tournament. 31-year-old Mohamed Rabie Meftah has been drafted in by Leekens after years in the wilderness, but is unlikely to get much of a look in at right-back, while the other five are all uncapped.
How far will they go?
Algeria wilted in the quarter-finals of the last Nations Cup and limped out of the tournament after failing to lift themselves against the Cote d’Ivoire. It’s not impossible that they’ll fold again, particularly if reports about player power and the brittle mentality of the squad are true, but they have the quality, and if things fall into place, they can be finalists … at least!
By Ed Dove/KweseSports
@EddyDove on Twitter
