For the last stand of captain Riyad Mahrez (35 years old), with the returns of Houssem Aouar and Amine Gouiri (forfeits for the last African Cup of Nations), the talent of Ibrahim Maza and Mohamed Amoura, the combativeness of Ramy BensebaĂŻni and AĂŻssa Mandi or even Luca Zidane in goal (if he is well recovered), will the Algerian team survive to the group stage of the 2026 World Cup? The Greens led by Vladimir Petkovic will begin with a shock against world champion Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, on June 17 in Kansas City.
It is especially against Jordan of Rennes winger Mousa Al-Tamari that the Algerians must secure a victory, on June 23 in San Francisco, before a possible “final” of Group J against Austria, five days later (back in the lair of the Kansas City Chiefs), in order to reach the round of 16 of the competition.
A statement from an Algerian coach, Noureddine Zekri, stationed at Al-Shabab, 13th in the Saudi championship, has not gone unnoticed in recent days. “If Algeria doesn’t beat Jordan in the World Cup, we will all have to retire. Jordan does not have the level of Algeria, and in no case can we put the two teams on an equal footing”thus launched this coach in a live on the networks, he who has been working in the Middle East since 2013, where many Jordanian internationals play. Zekri manages Ali Azaizeh, a striker for the Jordanian selection.
Algeria and Jordan? “All Arabs and brothers”
Mousa Al-Tamari was questioned about this controversial statement last Sunday after his team’s defeat in Lyon (4-2) and his exceptional goal with a volley. “I don’t know him, this is the first time I’ve heard of him. His statement is disrespectful, but we are respectful people, and I promise him that he will see something good in our match against Algeria.”thus launched the “Jordanian Messi”, before calming things down, recalling that Algerians and Jordanians were “all Arabs and brothers”.
The former Montpellier resident is the star captain of Nashama (the Courageous). At 28 years old, he has already made 90 caps for 24 goals. Mousa Al-Tamari took his team to the final of the Asian Cup in 2023. The Jordanians qualified for the 2026 World Cup without going through play-offs in the Asia zone and rose to 63rd place in the Fifa world rankings.
