Before the third and final match of the group stage in AFCON 2023, Amir Abdou, the coach of Mauritania, sent a clear message to Djamel Belmadi and Algeria.
The Africa Cup of Nations is entering its third round of group stage matches this Sunday. While some teams like Cape Verde and Senegal have already secured their spots in the round of 16, the majority of qualifiers will be known after this final day. Among the teams in great danger that must win to qualify and continue in this AFCON 2023, we find the Fennecs of Algeria. And for the last match, Djamel Belmadi and his men will face the Mauritania team at the Peace Stadium in Bouaké.
“Ask Belmadi to get ready”
Just after Mauritania’s second outing in this 34th edition of the Africa Cup, ending with a 3-2 defeat against Angola this Saturday, Amir Abdou, the coach of the Mourabitounes, spoke about the upcoming match on Tuesday. When asked by Algerian journalists about the state of mind of his team and how he plans to approach the match against Algeria, the Comorian did not mince his words.
“We are not here to hand out points to Algeria. We will approach this match very seriously with our first-choice team. There will be no turnover because I am not here to lose. Algeria is a good team that I respect. In my last AFCON with the Comoros, we had lost our first two matches, and in the last match against Ghana, we had played without pressure and won, qualifying for the round of 16 as the best third-placed team,” said the Mauritania boss, who was much more pointed afterward. “Ask Djamel Belmadi to get ready,” he replied when asked how he would prepare for the match.
Should Algeria be afraid?
The statement from the Comorian coach of Mauritania is clear. After two defeats in as many matches, the Mourabitounes have 0 points but still have a chance of qualification with the third place. In a group dominated by Angola and Burkina Faso (4 points), a victory against Algeria (2 points) would mean qualification for Amir Abdou. Against Angola this Saturday, the Mauritanian team showed good things with beautiful goals, even if the defense couldn’t prevent the goals from coming in.
And facing the Algerians, who are the big favorites for this third group stage match of the AFCON 2023, anything can happen. Since the start of this AFCON, many surprises have occurred. The Maghreb teams, who were touted as big favorites in their groups before the start of the competition, find themselves in delicate positions, except for Morocco, which is almost certain to reach the round of 16 after its initial victory and draw against the DRC this Sunday.
Belmadi’s assets
Whatever we say, Algeria’s last match will take place in optimal conditions. While it’s very hot in Ivory Coast, and the Fennecs played at 2 p.m. against Burkina Faso this Saturday, the match against Mauritania will be played at 8 p.m. Although this doesn’t guarantee anything concrete, as the Fennecs drew against Angola in the opening match at the same time, it’s one less hardship.
Now, on paper, there’s no comparison with Algerian talents. Riyad Mahrez, Baghdad Bounedja, and others will be ready to save Djamel Belmadi from a major disappointment. It will be enough to get into the game with the right players and a lot of determination for Mauritania to struggle to assert itself and create a surprise. In any case, football remains football, and the warnings from Amir Abdou, who isn’t done with AFCON AF2023, should be taken seriously.
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