Held in check four days earlier by Angola (1-1), Algeria did no better against Burkina Faso this Saturday (2-2). The round of 16 has not yet been won.
Like two years ago, in Cameroon, the African Cup of Nations organized this winter in Ivory Coast is looking like a trap for Algeria. After a frustrating draw against Angola for its entry into the competition (1-1), Djamel Belmadi’s selection was unable to bounce back against Burkina Faso this Saturday. Once again neutralized (2-2).
If there is one positive point to remember, however, it is the ability to react and the resilience of the Algerians who twice found themselves trailing and thus pushed to the edge of the precipice. At the very end of the first period, Konaté first surprised everyone with a stratospheric header (45e+3). Then Traoré from the penalty spot took advantage of a gross foul by Aït-Nouri on Kaboré to give his team the advantage (71e).
Bounedjah, hero of the nation
As against Angola, the hero of the Greens took on the features of Bounedjah, a double saving scorer as a surface fox after returning from the locker room (51e) and an angry header in added time to spare his team from the disaster scenario (90e+5). Facing Mauritania in three days, Algeria will absolutely have to take all three points. This should be enough to be at least among the best third-placed qualifiers in the round of 16.
