Desert Foxes out to outfox Angola

ALGERIA will be targeting nothing but a win in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group D opener against Angola at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake tonight.

Kick-off is at 10:00 pm (Zim time).

CURRENT FORM

The Desert Foxes are enjoying a 12-match unbeaten run across all competitions coming into this encounter having thumped Burundi 4-0 in a friendly match on 9 January.

However, Algeria — who are twotime African champions — are winless in their last three games in the Afcon finals having lost twice and drawn once at the 2021 edition.

Meanwhile, Angola are enduring a seven-match win-less run across all competitions having drawn 0-0 with DR Congo in a friendly encounter on 6 January.

Palancas Negras (Black Sable Antelopes) are also win-less in their last eight matches in the Afcon finals — losing four games and drawing four — a run that started at the 2012 edition.

TEAM NEWS

Algeria duo Rayan Ait-Nouri and Houssem Aouar have been persuaded to switch their international allegiance from France and they are expected to make their Afcon debut.

Angola, on the other hand, will be without Helder Costa as the former Leeds United attacker asked to be excluded from the Afcon squad due to lack of fitness as he is a free agent.

WHAT WAS SAID?

Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi “It is important to start well, it is important in a tournament that the first game you should negotiate it perfectly; you need to take the three points. So we respect Angola,” Belmadi said on CAF Online.

“If we analyse the last three results of Angola, they do not concede many goals, they defend very well, they are a tough team to play. So, first of all is winning the first game and then we go to the next; it’s battle after battle.” Angola head coach Pedro Gonçalves “We have achieved our main goal, which was to qualify and come here,” Gonçalves said on CAF Online after his side arrived in Ivory Coast.

“It is very important for Angolan football to be at the biggest tournament on the continent. We need to design new roles and it’s important for us in the group phase and think of qualifying for the knock-out stage.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Riyad Mahrez: The Algeria captain was on the score sheet against Burundi and he will be looking to lead his troops to a victory over the Palancas Negras.

Gelson Dala: The versatile attacker was Angola’s top scorer with two goals in the 2023 Afcon qualifiers and he will carry the team’s hopes of overcoming the Desert Foxes.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Angola and Algeria have met nine times across all competitions. The Desert Foxes have won two games compared to Palancas Negras’ one and six games ended in a draw.

The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 0-0 draw in a 2010 Afcon match staged in Angola in January.