The Algerian Fennecs in a friendly against Colombia in France, before a future match against the Blues

The champions of Africa are in France. The Fennecs face Tuesday, October 15 in Lille Colombia in a friendly match.

More than ten years after the last meeting of the team of Algeria on the French soil, the popular success is already at the rendezvous. More than 40,000 spectators are expected at Pierre Mauroy stadium, nearly a quarter of which will come from the Paris region. The places of this friendly, where Algeria will be on the match sheet team "at home", were all sold out just days after the opening of the box office.

The pre-game training at the Stade de Villeneuve-d'Ascq, a time forbidden to the public, was even opened to the public a few tens of minutes in front of the overflowing passion of the hundred people who made the trip. "Playing here does not happen every day, we know that there is a strong Algerian community in France.A lot of our players were born in France, were trained here. a pride to come to play in front of this public ", savored Monday the coach of the Fennecs Djamel Belmadi, in a press conference.

J-1 #ALGCOL "One two three, viva Algeria": A hundred Algerian fans present at the Stadium of Villeneuve d'Ascq to attend the training of the #AFP pic.twitter.com/q6PdJOgsIR

During the friendly match against Colombia, a leading opponent despite the absence of two stars Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez, the Fennecs will also gauge in anticipation of the playoffs for the World Cup-2022, their next goal.

An important safety device

The French authorities, who have in mind the France-Algeria match of 2001 and the incidents on the sidelines of the celebrations at the CAN-2019, however have provided for an important safety device, fearing that new excesses will spoil the party.

"The match is considered risky because of the exuberance of supporters on both sides that fears overflowing," said the northern prefecture, without communicating "in detail" the "mobilized workforce".

At the time of the CAN-2019, "in Lille, Roubaix and Maubeuge, the many joyous, jovial and family events of joy, had been disturbed by troublemakers who tried to spoil the party and to attack the forces of the order ", continues the prefecture of the North.

"We want this to be a party, a meeting between all the fans before, during, and after the match, we want them to have a good time, and to be exemplary at this level. a corner of my head, there is something that tells me that everything will happen properly, "said coach Djamel Belmadi.

Serene Belmadi, studious Chetti, pre-match conference #ALGCOL in three photos #TeamDZ pic.twitter.com/M5Ih1LjmHM

A Algeria-France in 2020?

Algeria's match on French soil will also be a test, as discussions continue between the French and Algerian federations on the possible organization of a match between the two nations in the autumn of 2020. A meeting was even held in Paris on Monday, but "no decision was made".

"The two presidents have planned to evoke this perspective on the occasion of a visit of Christmas Graët in Algeria, at the invitation of the president of the Algerian federation, during the first quarter of 2020," said the two bodies in a joint statement.

"It's time to make this match" in Algeria, had already declared in September on France Info Christmas Le Graët, fervent supporter of a meeting between the world champions and champions of Africa, while evoking "security affairs "and a necessary consultation with the Élysée on this subject.

Highly symbolic because of the common history of the two countries, the only meeting France-Algeria took place in October 2001. The match was interrupted after the invasion of the field by Algerian fans while the score was 4-1. for France.

#LesVerts⭐⭐ #TeamDZ #TheFennecs # 123VivaLAlgerie🇩🇿 #ALGCOL pic.twitter.com/yGxaushHqI

With AFP