Algeria will be better in the future, says defender Matmour

Defender Karim Matmour told Echorouk the Algerian national team learned a lot from the World Cup as Algeria has been absent in this competition for 24 years.

• How is everything a week after the end of the national team’s adventure in the World Cup?
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• I am in a break now. I still remember those nice days with the national team in South Africa.
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• How do you assess the Algerian team in this world competition?
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• Honestly, I think it was very positive. Algeria participated in the World Cup after an absence of 24 years. Unfortunately, we did not risk attacking. If we did that, we would have been able to go far. However, our participation was ideal and we don’t have to be ashamed of.
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• Observers say the problem in the national team is the attack.
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• Not exactly in the attack. It is true that we did not risk attacking and we did not seize many opportunities. As far as I am concerned, I think that the problem was in the absence of a balance between defence and attack.
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• How do you assess the general level match by match?
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• Our performance was improving from match to match. We were self-confident. Our performance in the match against Slovenia was not the same in the match against England neither against the US. In the first 15 minutes if the match against the US, their defence was suffering but they became better than us later. The point is that this competition gave to the Algerian players and all the Algerian people confidence. That would be an important asset in the future.
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• What was missing in the team?
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• Nothing except risking attacking and self-confidence. The missing thing may be the international experience in such big competitions. I think the national team managed to prove that they have big individual capacities. The difference between them and the famous stars is their non participation in high level competitions.
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• Don’t you think that you were able to beat England if you had focused on the attack?
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• That’s right. We were able to score goals especially in the last 15 minutes. The problem was in the lack of self-confidence and experience. This is football. Each match has its own characteristics and its own tactical plan. Personally, I am proud of what we did in that match. We don’t have to forget that England is a strong team. So, we can not ask the players to do more than what they did.
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• But it is said that your group is the weakest one as all the teams in Group C were disqualified.
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• The teams in Group C worked hard to qualify. The results of the matches were a draw 0-0, 1-1 or a win 1-0. The players made big efforts. That had an impact on England and the US in the second round.
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• What did the participation in the World Cup represent for you?
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• Playing in such a big competition is very nice. I learned a lot and I met the best players. Concerning the national team, it was a very positive participation. Our players are excellent.
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• The World Cup is a wonderful thing also, isn’t?
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• I experienced the World Cup inside the hotel only. There was no Internet neither was any contact with the world outside. We were isolated. We were watching the World Cup enthusiasm on TV only and when we went to the stadium to play matches.
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• Did you regret any thing in the World Cup?
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• I am still sorry for not qualifying to the second round. We could have done that. Any way, we gained a respectful team and we will be better in the future. There was no difference between our players and the big names. Because of that, the national team will not be afraid of any team in the future.
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• But some names stopped playing and that would not serve the team.
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• I do not think so because the number of the players who quitted is small expect Mansouri, Saifi and maybe Guaouaoui. All the players are not more than 25 years old. We are almost from the same generation.
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• What about life inside the group. It seems that some players were angry over not playing as principal.
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• As far as I am concerned, the atmosphere was wonderful.  Personally, I will keep nice memories about this World Cup and the national team. We had a good group though seven new players joined us and the atmosphere changed a little bit. Yet, there was no problem among the players.
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• What do you think about Ghezzal’s behaviour?
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• Do you mean when he touched the ball with his hand in the match against Slovenia?
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• Yes. How did he live the rest of the days with the team?
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• Maybe, he wanted to do his best. Because of that, he behaved in that way without thinking. As for his life among the team, it would be better if you ask him personally.
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• Can you talk about the atmosphere after watching the Bataille d’Alger movie and the documentary film about Oum Derman?
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• That was very nice. I think the movie and the documentary film were meant to sensitize the new players about the national values. The message was not intended to the old players as they got used to the big challenges.
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• What about the phenomenon Mbolhi?
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• He was excellent. Actually, he was the national team’s discovery.
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• Were you expecting that?
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• No. I did not watch him before. I waited until the World Cup to watch him closely. Even Chaouchi is a skilful goal keeper and we must not forget him.
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• Did the president of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) and Saadane talk to you after the match against the US?
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• No one talked to us. The FAF’s president did not need to do that because he knows well what to do to prepare the team for the next competitions while Saadane did not say any thing.
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• Are you for the departure of Saadane?
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• I can not talk about that because I am just a player. Maybe some people forgot what this man did for the team. Two years ago, we did not have any national team and it was him who bought the players. He contributed a lot in the results of the World Cup.
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• We understand that you do not want him to leave.
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• I told you it is not up to me to decide. I think that it is meaningless to change him because he knows the team better than any one.
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• For which club will you play in the next season?
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• I have a two season-contract with Borussia and talks are underway with its officials to find a solution.
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• What do you mean exactly?
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• I may leave this club. I have many offers and I have not decided yet.  
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• For which club do you want to play?
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• I may play in France but the club’s official will make the final decision.
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• Why do you want to leave Borussia?
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• I set conditions to stay there. If they are accepted, I may continue playing for them. Honestly, I am not thinking of staying there.
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• Where will you spend the holidays?
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• I will travel by plane tomorrow at 5 am. I will not unveil the place where I will go so that no one will look after me. I will turn my phone off and cut contact with the world outside. No one will find out the place where I will spend the holidays.