Algeria national football team 2014


Summary

This page summarises the Algeria national football team fixtures and results in 2014.

Overview

Match results

International Friendly">Exhibition game">International Friendly

[2014 [FIFA World Cup|FIFA World Cup]]

Belgium vs Algeria

The two teams had met in two previous matches, both in friendlies, most recently in 2003.
Algeria took a one-goal lead in the first half after Sofiane Feghouli converted a penalty kick, awarded for a foul on him by Jan Vertonghen. Belgium came back with two goals in the second half, both scored by substitutes.
The equaliser was scored by Marouane Fellaini, heading in a cross from the left by Kevin De Bruyne, followed by the game winner scored by Dries Mertens from a pass by Eden Hazard.
Feghouli's goal snapped Algeria's 506-minute World Cup scoreless streak stretching back to 1986, second place at the time to the record of 517 minutes between 1930 and 1990 held by Bolivia.

South Korea vs Algeria

The two teams had met in one previous match, in a friendly in 1985.
Algeria, which needed at least a point to stay alive in the competition, scored three goals in the first half to take a comfortable lead. First, Islam Slimani sped past two South Korean defenders to receive Carl Medjani's long pass and slot home with his left foot past the advancing goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Rafik Halliche headed in Abdelmoumene Djabou's corner from the left. Djabou scored himself later after he received a pass from Slimani, shooting low with his left foot from twelve yards out.
Early in the second half, Son Heung-min controlled a long pass from Ki Sung-yueng to shoot with his left foot between the goalkeepers legs and reduce the deficit, but Yacine Brahimi restored Algeria's three-goal lead after a one-two with Sofiane Feghouli to side foot home from inside the penalty area with his right foot. Koo Ja-cheol scored South Korea's second goal after a pass from Lee Keun-ho from the left, but Algeria held on for its third ever World Cup victory, but its first since 24 June 1982.
Algeria became the first African team to score four goals in a World Cup match.

Algeria vs Russia

The two teams had met in one previous match, in a friendly in 1964.
Aleksandr Kokorin opened the scoring for Russia, which had to win to have chance of qualifying for the knockout stage, in the 6th minute when he scored with a header after a cross from Dmitri Kombarov from the left. Algeria equalised in the 60th minute when Islam Slimani scored with a header at the back post after a free kick from the left by Yacine Brahimi which was missed by Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. Algeria held on for the draw, and as South Korea lost to Belgium in the other match played at the same time, Algeria finished as group runners-up and reached the second round for the first time in their history, while Russia failed to advance out of the group stage in all three tournaments since the break-up of the Soviet Union.
For Algeria's goal, television replays showed that Akinfeev had a green laser light shining in his face during the play.
After the match the Algerian Football Federation was fined 50,000 CHF by FIFA for the use of laser pointers, a prohibited item in the stadium according to FIFA Stadium Safety and Security Regulations, and other violations of the rules by Algerian fans.
With fellow African representative Nigeria also reaching the knockout stage earlier, this was the first time there were two teams from the Confederation of African Football in the knockout stage of a World Cup.
;Notes

Knockout stage

Round of 16

Germany vs Algeria

The two teams had met in two previous matches, including in the 1982 FIFA World Cup group stage, where Algeria defeated West Germany 2–1. This match was Algeria's first ever in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage.
After a goalless 90 minutes, Germany opened the scoring two minutes into extra time, when half-time substitute André Schürrle scored with a left foot back-heel from Thomas Müller's cross from the left.
Germany extended the lead in the 120th minute when Mesut Özil converted with his left foot high into the net after Schürrle's shot was blocked on the line, but Algeria pulled one back in injury time when substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou scored with his left foot from six yards after a cross from the right by Sofiane Feghouli.
Germany advanced to the quarter-finals to face [|France], continuing their streak of reaching the last eight in every World Cup since 1954. Djabou's goal, timed at 120 minutes and 51 seconds, was the latest goal in World Cup history, surpassing Alessandro Del Piero's goal against Germany in 2006, timed at 120 minutes and 32 seconds.

[2015 [Africa Cup of Nations qualification|Africa Cup Qualification]]

Squad information

Player statistics

Correct as of 19 November 2014.

Numbers are listed by player's number in WC&CAF Qualification or last friendly played

Goalscorers

Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted alphabetically by surname when total goals are equal.

Assists