Algeria
Coach: Rabah Saadane
Algeria World Cup 2010 guide Rabah Saadane is the Algerian football manager which is his fifth time as coach of the national team after earlier stints between 1981 and 2004, including leading the team in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
World Cup 2010 Qualifying:
The Algeria national football team, nicknamed Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes) and also moharibou essahra (desert warriors) made two consecutive World Cups in 1982 and 1986. They lifted the African Nations Cup in 1990 as the host country. In November 2009, they beat fierce rivals Egypt in a playoff to secure a place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Algeria coach Rabah Saadane: "They played with heart - they had so much heart and I think that's what made the difference. I think we will have time to prepare ourselves for the Cup in Africa now."
Past World Cup Performance:
World Cup 1982 - On the brink of becoming the first African team to reach the second-phase of the World Cup, Algeria were robbed by the infamous game between Austria and the same West Germans. That game saw the Germans 'beat' the non-trying Austrians 1:0, eliminating Algeria, and forcing FIFA to change the order games were played in. No longer would matches take place at different times, yet that was no comfort to Algeria.
World Cup 1986 - In Mexico, at the 1986 World Cup, the Algerians were not able to pass the first round once again in a group that included Northern Ireland (draw 1-1), Brazil (loss 1-0) and Spain (loss 3-0). Only one Algerian managed to score during this competition: Djamel Zidane. From there on, Algeria failed to to qualify for another World Cup until 2010.
Algeria - Key Players
- Madjid Bougherra - Rangers
- Nadir Belhadj - Portsmouth
- Karim Ziani - Wolfsburg
- Hameur Bouazza - Blackpool
- Rafik Saifi - Al-Khor
- Kamel Ghilas - Hull City lit.
