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Join on Telegram Rabat – In a déjà vu scenario reminiscent of their 2022 campaign, Algeria kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) journey with a lackluster draw.
Algeria, haunted by memories of their nightmarish and brief venture in Cameroon two years ago, stumbled yet again in their tournament opener, settling for a 1-1 draw against Angola.
Placed in Group D, the Fennecs allowed Angola to level the score through a penalty in today’s clash that stirred echoes of past struggles.
Despite an early lead courtesy of Bounedjah, Angola clawed back, equalizing with a penalty kick.
The initial spark for Algeria came with Belaïli’s precise pass to Bounedjah, who calmly slotted the ball past Neblu with the outside of his foot in the 18th minute, putting the Fennecs ahead 1-0.
Bounedjah seemed poised to double his tally with a spectacular overhead kick into the top corner shortly thereafter, but the referee ruled it offside, relegating what could have been a tournament highlight to a mere footnote (22nd minute).
The second half saw the Palancas Negras make a comeback, capitalizing on a penalty awarded for Bentaleb’s foul on Mabululu.
Ittihad Alexandrie’s player took charge, beating Mondrea and leveling the score at 1-1 in the 66th minute, leaving the Stade Malherbe de Caen goalkeeper helpless.
This draw serves as a wake-up call for Algeria, reopening old wounds from their previous campaign.
The parallels between their disappointing start in 2022 and the present hint at a need for tactical adjustments and defensive resilience if the Fennecs are to progress in this edition of the Afcon.
