Antar Yahia to Echorouk: “We are accustomed to African atmosphere and victory in Bangui will be our prime objective”

In an interview with “Echorouk”, the seasoned defender of the Algerian national squad, Antar Yahia, has affirmed that the prime objective of the Greens of Algeria will be to carry the day in Bangui itself against the national team of the Central African Republic in their second group stage qualifier for the 2012 Africa cup of nations football contest.

• Echorouk: Are you confident together with your teammates of coming out victorious in Bangui versus the squad of the Central African Republic despite the difficulty of the task?
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• Antar Yahia: Firstly, we must now forget our recent lackluster one-all tie at home versus Tanzania and concentrate fully on today’s decisive qualifier against the Central African Republic with the prime goal of snatching the three points of victory. I honestly think that we are able to carry the day but we don’t under-estimate by the same token the value of our opponents of the day.

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• Echorouk: Don’t you fear that the absence, because of injury, of several key players of the national team could be a drawback for you in the make- or- break Bangui qualifier?
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• Antar Yahia: Yes it’s true, the forced absence of these key players like Ziani, Boudebouz, Guedioura, Amri Chedli, Matmour and Fouad Kadir will be felt but we have other talented players who have been duly selected by national coach Abdelhak Benchikha within the national line-up. I am sure that their will do their best to be up to the mark on the pitch today in Bangui as part of a collective and determined effort to clinch the three points of victory.
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• Echorouk: Have a precise idea about the potentialities of the squad of the Central African Republic who were able to hold home-team Morocco to a goalless draw in their first qualifier about a month ago?
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• Antar Yahia: I should say that in Africa nowadays, there are no weak teams as before because African football has evolved by leaps and bounds over the past two decades. Now, the level of the African squads has risen due to various positive factors and parameters.
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• Consequently, we don’t at all underestimate our African opponents notably the squad of the Central African Republic who will have the major asset of playing at home in front of their supporters but this will not deter us to pull out all the stops on the pitch in order to win, Why not?
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• Echorouk: Didn’t you suffer from weariness as a result of your long trip to Bangui and the ensuing climatic conditions there?
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• Antar Yahia: Well, the long trip was a bit tiresome and the heat is a drawback but we are now accustomed to this African atmosphere surrounding regional football fixtures. But all this will not preclude our line-up to fully concentrate on today’s important Bangui qualifier in the hope of outplaying our opponents on their home ground. For me and all my teammates, winning is tantamount to fulfilling a bounden national duty.
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