Qatar 2022: Time for the real Algeria to stand up

Recently, in the run up to the draw for the next African Cup of Nations finals, the silent hope for most nations participating was to avoid a group with Algeria.

The third ranked team on the continent beat the best ranked side, Senegal in the final of the last edition of AFCON and went to the draws for the next competition not just as favorites but also with a new record. Algeria have the longest undefeated run by a nation in Africa, at 27 matches after their win over Tunisia in a friendly match.

This run includes their sweep at AFCON 2019 that saw them win every single game towards their second continental title. A 

 ahead of the 2021 AFCON draws that while they don’t fear anyone, they are desperately hoping to avoid Algeria at the group stage. Why would anyone want to face Algeria in their current form anyway?

However, Algeria have uncharted waters; they haven’t imposed themselves on the world stage as they have done in Africa. On four occasions, they’ve managed to get to the FIFA World Cup but they only managed to get past the group stages on one – the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Their journey in Brazil would however end at the Round of 16 at the hands of Germany, and after that it has been a dismal run even in the qualifiers. They were nowhere near qualification for the 2018 Russia showpiece but wearing the African champions’ tag, they’ll know a lot of expectation comes along with it.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup qualification matches for the CAF region are on and as the qualifiers start, there will be a ready 

 on offer, among others listed on SportyTrader for new users wishing to bet on the CAF matches. An impressive welcome offer assures the user of up to £100 in bet credits at Bet365 and a wide array of in-play incentives, including the Bet Builder feature that enables betting on multiple markets for the same game.

Algeria will be hoping to do better at the qualifiers, which should serve as a dress rehearsal for the defence of their AFCON title, and they have the right players for the job. It is at times incomprehensible how with the players Algeria have, they fail to dominate African and world football.

The north African nation starts the Qatar 2022 qualifiers on the back of five winless matches in previous World Cup qualification matches. Four of the five matches are defeats and just one draw. In Group B of Russia 2018 qualifiers, Algeria finished a disappointing fourth, without a win in their six qualification matches, managing just two points.

Four losses in the qualifiers then should be enough to prod Algeria to action and as they start the second round of Qatar 2022 qualifiers, they will be billed favorites in the opening two matches that come in September, against Djibouti at home then away to Burkina Faso.

However these matches go, one thing remains; the real Algeria needs to stand up.