Jubilant Algeria looking to settle score after 32 years
Print Edition
ALGERIA coach Vahid Halilhodzic said the country is ecstatic at not only making the second round of the World Cup for the first time but of getting a chance of revenge against Germany on Monday.
Bosnian Halilhodzic said the infamous 1982 match between Austria and the then West Germany remained ingrained in Algerians’ memories.
Thirty-two years ago Algeria were controversially eliminated from the World Cup on goal difference when West Germany — whom the Algerians had sensationally beaten 2-1 in their group game — and Austria played out a mutually beneficial 1-0 win for the Germans.
The match became known as “the game of shame.”
Algeria drew 1-1 draw with Russia on Thursday, with Islam Slimani nodding home in the 60th minute to cancel out Alexander Kokorin’s sixth-minute header, to set up what is bound to be a highly-charged game.
“We have not forgotten about it. Everyone talks about Algeria and Germany from 1982,” said Halilhodzic.
“Thirty-two years is a long time, but I am very proud of what we have achieved tonight and we deserve to be here. This is the result of what we have done for the past three years, we have progressed a lot.”
Halilhodzic, played for the then Yugoslavia in the 1982 World Cup and is a much-travelled coach who numbers among his former employers Paris Saint Germain and Ivory Coast. He admitted that the present German side looks a formidable opponent.
“I saw the game against the United States (Germany won 1-0 on Thursday to top their group). They are an outstanding team, so it will be difficult.”
In the other Group H game, despite being reduced to 10 men for half the match — following the dismissal of Steven Defour in the 45th minute — Belgium still beat South Korea 1-0 on Thursday to finish atop and eliminate the last Asian team from the World Cup.
In the 78th minute, defender Jan Vertonghen followed up a shot from teenage striker Divock Origi and tapped in the rebound past Kim Seung-gyu.
Along with Iran, Japan and Australia, South Korea departed as the last team from the Asian federation.
Belgium will now play the United States on Tuesday, after the US progressed from Group G, despite a 1-0 loss to Germany.
Thomas Mueller scored off a rebound in the 55th minute to give Germany first place in the group, but the Americans held on to second when Portugal defeated Ghana 2-1 in Brasilia.
Two minutes after Mueller’s goal, Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan tied John Boye’s own goal, leaving his team one goal from matching the US with four points and moving ahead on the second tiebreaker, goals scored. But then Cristiano Ronaldo put Portugal back ahead in the 80th.
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