Saïfi to Echorouk: “Adamant will and valiant heart will be our motto in Africa Cup of Nations”

In an exclusive interview with Echorouk's reporter in Doha, the Algerian international and striker of the Qatari club of El Khor, Rafik Saïfi, dwells on the Fennecs' preparation and expectations ahead of the Africa cup of nations in Angola (January 11th-31st 2010) and the 2010 World cup in South Africa starting from next June.

• Q: First of all, do you think that a 10 – day training camp will be sufficient for the Greens to prepare correctly for such a major football event as the Africa cup of nations? …
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• Saïfi: Well, I think that the duration of the upcoming training camp to be held in southern France, starting from the 26th of this month, will be sufficient for us to trim our preparation ahead of the Africa cup of nations in Angola.
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• I should say that the players of the national squad already know each other very well … As a result, the adaptation problem is not an issue for the group.
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• The integration of the 2 newcomers namely Zamamouche and Abdelmalek Ziaya will surely take place smoothly and with no hitch for the benefit of the whole squad.
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• Q: Don’t you think that a lack of international friendly matches during your next training camp could be counter – productive for the squad? …
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• Saïfi:  As a matter of fact, having in our schedule a friendly international match will be a good thing because nothing replaces high competition.
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• Contrariwise, we will opt for application matches among ourselves, under the supervision of national coach Rabah Saâdane, as we did already with much success before the World cup qualifiers versus Egypt.
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• Q: How do you view the arrival of ES Setif striker Abdelmalek Ziaya at the national squad?…
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• Saïfi: Well, it’s really a good thing to have Abdelmalek Ziaya among the Greens’ line-up. He is welcome among the group and I hope that he will do his best to honour the national colours alongside his team-mates during the upcoming Africa cup of nations in Angola.
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• The essential thing for all the players is to pull out all the stops on the pitch and to go as far as possible in this major continental football competition.
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• Q: What about Algeria’s chances in the upcoming tournaments?
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• Saïfi: I should point out that the Algeria squad had greatly evolved over the past 2 years thanks to the unflagging efforts of all those concerned … the players, the technical staff, the football federation and the valorous fans …
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• Now, the Algerian Fennecs have a say in all contests by being a serious contender in the Africa cup of nations and the World cup as well.
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• I remind you by the same token, that Algeria now holds the 26th slot in the FIFA ranking … Algeria is therefore feared by the best squads in the world.
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• This gives us more motivation and boldness to always forge ahead and do our best to clinch victories in all the forthcoming competitions.
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