Angola versus Algeria: “The Greens should imperatively win or pack up”

The Algerian national football squad will face on Monday in Luanda stadium the team of Angola with the adamant resolve to snatch the 3 points of victory in order to be able to make it to the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations competition. The Greens' task will be extremely difficult but not impossible if we take into account the retrieved fighting spirit they displayed with success last Thursday versus Mali.   

• However, a possible setback versus hosts Angola will automatically shut out the Greens from this African tournament. National Coach Rabah Saâdane and the team players are fully aware of this untoward contingency.
• Saadane believes his World Cup-bound side are right back in the African competition after their meritorious 1-0 win over Mali last Thursday in Luanda.
• It was a good response following their opening match humbling, which saw them thumped surprisingly 3-0 by the Malawian minnows.
• Saâdane says that the win has given the perfect answer to all our critics. “I did my calculations before and six points should be enough to qualify”, he asserted.
• “I didn’t put any pressure on my team, I told them to go out and enjoy themselves. They responded well with a positive result versus the Malian team.”
• Algeria playmaker Karim Ziani added: “The positive result secured over Mali has renewed our hopes in this Africa Cup of Nations competition and we are determined to forge ahead still further by outplaying Angola.”
• The Greens will have to make do without midfielder Khaled Lemouchia, who left the squad last week due to family reasons, but the rest of the players of the Algeria squad are all fit with the exception of forwards Bezzaz and Saifi and to a lesser degree Bouazza who sustained injuries during the Mali fixture.
• Antar Yahia and Mourad Meghni will be used, if need be, by national coach Saâdane as substitutes during the make-or-break confrontation versus host country Angola on Monday starting from 17 hours local time in Luanda stadium.
• Let’s hope that the Greens of Algeria will succeed in wrenching an imperious victory over Angola in order to secure a berth in the quarter finals of this prestigious African football tournament.