In a matchup that is set to be the most lopsided in the first round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers involving African national teams, Algeria host minnows Djibouti to open up their account in Group A. Currently possessing the longest unbeaten streak in African history, the Fennecs look unstoppable and Djibouti manager Christophe Mette acknowledged that his team was facing the impossible by stating that there was a “1% chance of us not losing”.
Despite Djibouti’s long odds, Algeria manager Djamel Belmadi will not let his team take it easy on Thursday, stating that the Fennecs will treat the match with the “same seriousness as if it were a World Cup final”. Belmadi indicated his satisfaction with the state of the team and took time out to praise a few Algerians for securing transfer moves from domestic football to abroad including Adem Zorgane, Mohamed Amine Ammoura and Billel Messaoudi.
Algerian publication DZ Foot takes a closer look at Djibouti and their limited footballing pedigree, focusing on the recent accomplishments of the nation’s super club, Arta Solar 7. Speaking with Mette, the manager mentioned that he has six players called in from the top club, which currently employs a few Cameroonian players including Alexandre Song in its bid to achieve bigger things in CAF club competitions.
