My oh my! Algeria did not do it. We expected great things from Riyad Mahrez and co., and they failed to deliver. In all honesty, they did dominate and create many clear-cut chances, and with an attack like that you’d expect the Dessert Foxes to close out such a dominant performance. Equatorial Guinea got the short end of the stick with an opening fixture against Ivory Coast, followed by a matchup with the defending-champions. The Central African team need to bring it if they are going to progress to the next round.
Will we see an upset, or will Algeria be too much for Equatorial Guinea? Get your skin in the game!
Africa Cup of Nations – Group E
Sunday 16 January
Japoma Stadium
21:00
To Win
Algeria 1/3
Algeria 1/3
Draw 29/10
Equatorial Guinea 10/1
Equatorial Guinea 10/1
Algeria
When players know each other very well, they tend to produce a better quality of football and the likes of Algeria are on that wavelength. However, the game against Sierra Leone did not seem to click with the frontline missing opportunity after opportunity. While we look at the odds of this fixture, it’s clear to see that Sierra Leone was The Dessert Foxes’ easiest opponents of the entire Africa Cup of Nations.
Captain Riyad Mahrez, Galatasaray’s Sofiane Feghouli, as well as Islam Slimani all started up front and when they couldn’t produce, Said Benrahma, was introduced into the attack to no avail despite a clear chance for him to put his name in the headlines.
Algeria were not short of chances, coupled with a good defensive structure filled with players who have worked well together in the past, and a midfield who are good at controlling the game on and off the ball.
The marks of a successful campaign were evident in the opening round, and head coach Djamel Belmadi will not be too concerned, but three points are a must in their tie with Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea
Group E was always going to be a tough run for Equatorial Guinea and opening the campaign against Ivory Coast followed by the defending-champions seemed to almost be a set up for failure. It is now do or die if there is any hope of progressing to the next round and the ‘guns blazing’ approach is almost a no brainer.
After an error in midfield leading to Ivory Coast scoring the goal to take the win, Equatorial Guinea struggled to get out of their own half. The second 45 looked better, and the National Thunder made it known they’re not here to just make up the numbers.
They failed to convert an excellent opportunity in the 63rd-minute and struggled to create another clear-cut chance.
The Central African team will have their work cut out for them, but I feel they can work the ball into good areas and when they do, seizing the moment is vital.
Prediction: Algeria Win (1/3)
I want to have faith in an outsider chance, but I just cannot see Equatorial Guinea making any headway against Algeria. I know I backed the Dessert Foxes to beat Sierra Leone, and ultimately, they just didn’t take their chances. They did not lack anything on the field of play, and one is sure to hit the back of the net this time around.
Written by Joshua Gaillard