Already qualified for the round of 16 before this third matchday, the Algerian national team concluded the group stage with a convincing victory over Equatorial Guinea (3-1).
For this match, coach Vladimir Petković opted for extensive rotation, fielding a team composed mostly of substitutes, without compromising the collective performance. On the contrary, the Greens quickly took control of the game.
Within thirteen minutes, Algeria had essentially sealed the match. Belaïd opened the scoring with a precise header from a perfect cross by Hadj Moussa (18’). Six minutes later, Chaïbi doubled the lead following a beautiful counter-attack initiated by Maza (24’). In the 31st minute, Maza scored himself with a header, again from a Hadj Moussa assist, making it 3-0.
In control of the game, the Algerians then managed the second half. Equatorial Guinea pulled one back in the 49th minute with a long-range strike from Nsue that beat Mandrea.
Final score: 3-1. Algeria finished top of their group and now looks ahead to the round of 16, where they will face the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Linetech
