Rabat – Despite a 3-0 loss to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Algeria’s head coach Vladimir Petković commended his team’s performance. He acknowledged the opposition’s high quality but insisted that they can do better.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Petković lauded the reigning world champions’ quality. “They are a great team with immense quality,” he noted.
“They don’t give the opponent a chance to put pressure on them, and the way they control the ball and dictate the game’s rhythm is something we must take into consideration.”
The Bosnian coach also candidly acknowledged his team’s defensive lapses during the match.
“We made a lot of mistakes, allowing the Argentine players to move freely between 15 and 25 meters from the penalty area and shoot,” he admitted.
However, Petković concluded on an optimistic note: “Our destiny is in our own hands. I leave this match convinced that we are capable of performing much better. This match was very important, but we still have two more games ahead of us.”
This 3-0 defeat opened Algeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage campaign, a match ultimately decided by a historic hat-trick from Lionel Messi.
