Calls for “realigning the ranks” in the Algerian national team after the shock of exclusion

With headlines such as “a logical defeat” and “the fall of kings”, the Algerian sports media analyzed the exit of its defending champion team from the first round of the African Football Cup of Nations, following a severe loss against Ivory Coast 1-3 Thursday, at a time when the country’s president considered that “this It is the logic of football.” He wished the best of luck to his country, which is preparing for the decisive role in the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

DZfoot, a specialized website, commented on Algeria's loss to Ivory Coast, considering it "a heavy logical defeat that destroys our hopes in the country of Cameroon," adding, "It ended up drowning in the face of the elephants who took full control."

"Now we have to heal the wounds of this failure so that we do not miss the qualifying process," the site added, as the "Desert Warriors" team hopes to compensate and qualify for the World Cup through the African qualifiers, which reached its final decisive role, which will be drawn on Saturday in Douala.

The headline of the football website La Gazette de Fénéc called "The Fall of Kings", but also called on the team to "regroup" in the decisive round of World Cup qualifiers.

In turn, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune tweeted shortly after the loss of the "Desert Warriors" who won the title in the last edition in 2019 at the expense of Senegal, saying, "This is the logic of football. The big one remains great, so do not despair, we encourage you and we stand behind you, today. And tomorrow.. better luck in the upcoming interviews, God willing.”

The Algerian national team reached the continental competition unbeaten in 35 matches, but this qualitative achievement was shattered in Cameroon by a shocking loss to Equatorial Guinea.

The Algerian News Agency quoted the Minister of Youth and Sports, Abderrazak Sebakk, as "supporting" the team "Making joy and pride for Algerians" for three years.

Siqaq believed that this "heavy" defeat does not in any way diminish the "value" of this team, and that this exclusion "in no way means the end of its career."

The Algerian team, the African champion in 1990, was eliminated from the first round also in 1992 in Senegal, after its 3-0 defeat also against Ivory Coast, which later culminated in the title.

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