Belmadi hails ‘extraordinary’ turnaround of team’s fortunes
Algeria manager Djamel Belmadi lauded his side’s “incredible” Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
Bounedjah gave Algeria a dream start against Sadio Mane’s Senegal, the top team in Africa, in front of a large Cairo crowd when his deflected shot looped over Senegal goalkeeper Alfred Gomis.
The second-minute strike was enough to propel Algeria to a first Cup of Nations title in 29 years, and the country’s first on foreign soil, having lifted the trophy as hosts in 1990.
“I’m very happy. Our whole nation, our people were waiting for this second star for a long time,” said Belmadi, who took charge of a squad in disarray last August.
“It’s our first Cup of Nations won away from home. It’s incredible especially when you look at where we came from.
“I took over a team that was really struggling. To do what we’ve been able to do, and to put ourselves on the top of Africa in 10 months, is extraordinary.”
The steely Belmadi signalled his intent early in his reign when he said his ambition was to make a run at the title in Egypt, despite inheriting a team that crashed out in the 2017 group stage and then fared woefully in World Cup qualifying for the 2018 tournament in Russia.
“I said we were going to the Cup of Nations to win. I wanted to send a strong message to the players, to tell them I was committing to a strong project. Titles are what interest me,” he said. “I was asked if it was a transitional period. No, we’re here [as champions].”
Belmadi’s recalling of defensive midfielder Adlene Guedioura after the best part of two years in the wilderness was particularly shrewd, while Haris Belkebla’s pretournament exclusion for baring his backside online underlined the manager’s zero-tolerance approach.
“He really knows the players and what he wants. The good thing is he knows how to get through to the players and how to listen,” said Guedioura, the former Watford midfielder, who served as the glue at the base of Algeria’s midfield. “If you don’t have a good cook you can’t have a good dish.”
Teenage midfielder Hicham Boudaoui, the youngest and only home-based member of the squad, said Belmadi had “won the players over” with his unwavering commitment to the players since taking over. “He gave a spirit to the players, they love him, that’s the secret of what he brought to the team. He gives us a lot of advice, we listen to him. He won the players over.”
Belmadi acknowledged that Friday had not been a sparkling display, to say the least, but the ends justified the means in getting them to the silverware.
“It perhaps wasn’t our best match in terms of what we produced, but we were the best attack in the tournament and the best defence alongside Senegal,” Belmadi said.
“It’s a deserved victory if you look at the tournament. The players have done incredible work. We’ve prepared for this Cup of Nations for a long time.
“It’s not easy living with this pressure every day of wanting to go all the way. They have been fabulous.”