Aboutaball :: About World Football

Kick-off: Thursday January 14, 16.00 GMT

Location: Estadio 11 de Novembre, Luanda

Group A will once again be the centre of attention, when Mali and Algeria get the second round of matches underway at the 2010 African Cup of Nations.  With both sides looking for the win to bolster their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals, it promises to be an exciting affair.

Few could have predicted the surprises that Group A at the 2010 African Cup of Nations had in store in the opening two matches of the tournament.  Mali stunned hosts Algeria with a comeback of epic proportions, whilst Algeria found themselves on the end of a similar shock when they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of rank outsides Malawi in their first match.

Improvement needed 1

It is hard to assess the Mali performance from the weekend in the opening match of the competition against hosts Angola.  Whilst the management may have accepted a draw at the beginning of the game, the nature of the game wasn’t entirely satisfactory, most notably in their defensive third.

The fashion in which the Mali defence allowed Angolan striker Flavio to stroll around unhindered will no doubt be one area that will be focussed upon for improvement.  The Al-Ahly striker enjoyed vast amounts of room between the defence and midfield of Mali, and duly helped himself to a couple of goals in that thrilling encounter.

Furthermore Mali will also be looking to improve their defending from set pieces, where Flavio once again was the main mischief maker.  His free header for the first Angolan goal from a simple cross into the box illustrated the need to target this area for practice before their encounter with Algeria.

Indeed Mali didn’t really improve until the arrival of Barcelona’s Seydou Keita, whose omission from the start is still yet to be explained by the management team.  Keita, who hailed the come-back as a miracle, stated that he hadn’t thought it would be possible to redeem the situation, but declared himself satisfied with the point under the circumstances.

Improvement needed 2

Whilst Mali might have been satisfied with their point at the expense of their hosts, the same can’t be said of Algeria, who crashed to defeat to Malawi just under 24 hours later in the second game of the group.

It was the worst possible start for Algeria, who after opening the match in bright and confident fashion, were simply out-played by Malawi for the remainder of the game.  Indeed the performance was so bad that in the wake of the loss, Madjid Bougherra, the Glasgow Rangers-based defender, was moved to apologise to fans of the Fennecs.  The former Charlton centre-back, who played as a full-back on Monday, blamed the heat for the defeat, claimed that Malawi were simply better accustomed to playing in such conditions.

However despite Bougherra’s assertion, there were several areas that require attention, both in defence and attack.  The most pressing concern might be in the forward line.  Many felt that Algeria looked light in this departmentpre-tournament, but they failed to make the most of the available talent in midfield with the use of the ball especially poor.  The best way to deal with hot conditions is to let the ball do the work, and Algeria certainly failed in this department against Malawi.

All out for the win

Both sides now need the victory to be certain of a place in latter stages of the tournament.  Algeria’s need is arguably the greater, as they still have to face the hosts of the tournament Angola in the final group match.  However, Mali too will not dismiss the challenge they will face in the final match against Malawi, so will also be hopeful of claiming all three points from this match to put themselves in a strong position to challenge for a quarter final berth. 

Form Guide

Mali

10/01/10 – Angola (a) 4-4 (2010 African Cup of Nations, Group A)

04/01/10 – Egypt (a) 1-0 (International Friendly)

02/01/10 – Qatar (a) 0-0 (International Friendly Tournament)

30/12/09 – Iran (n) 1-2 (International Friendly Tournament)

27/12/09 – Korea DPR (n) 0-1 (International Friendly Tournament)

Algeria

11/01/10 – Malawi (n) 0-3 (2010 African Cup of Nations, Group A)

18/11/09 – Egypt (n) 1-0 (2010 FIFA World Cup Play-off)

14/11/09 – Egypt (a) 2-0 (2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier)

11/10/09 – Rwanda (h) 3-1 (2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier)

06/09/09 – Zambia (h) 1-0 (2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier)

Team News

Mali

Stephen Keshi, Mali coach, may well makes changes to the team, with the most likely to return being Momo Sissoko.  The Juventus based midfielder may not be the most talented on the ball, but his input in front of his back-line where his presence is a reassuring sign to his defence should not be overlooked.  There was some question as to Sissoko’s participation in the tournament, but with that matter resolved, the former Liverpool midfielder is a likely candidate to stiffen up the team.

After his amazing impact on proceedings against Angola following his arrival as a first-half substitute, Seydou Keita is a likely starter as well, with the player sacrificed against Angola Modibo Maiga most likely to give way in the starting XI.

 Algeria

The Fennecs were somewhat hindered by the enforced changes in goal pre-tournament when Lounes Gaouaoui had to withdraw following a bout of illness.  Algerian coach Rabah Saadane has a tough call about whether to stick with his original replacement Faouzi Chaouchi or try someone else.  Chaouchi had a shocking game against Malawi, and was culpable for the first and third goal, but has vowed to bounce back against Mali. 

Abelkader Ghezzal started on his own up front, but with Algeria now needing to go for the win, he may well get some assistance against Mali in attack.  That may either involve Saifi being pushed into a more attacking position, or Karim Matmour making way for Mourad Meghni to  come in up front and Saifi drifting across to the right to cover Matmour’s absence. 

Player to Watch

Mali

Seydou Keita undoubtedly caught the eye against Angola, with his incredible impact, but Mali will want to see more from Fredi Kanoute as well.  The Sevilla-striker scored the second of the four goals in that insane final 12 minutes, but was slightly below par over the course of the match.  If the Algerian defence is as creaky as it was against Malawi though, he will be eagerly anticipating the prospect of getting a few more goals at the 2010 African Cup of Nations. 

Algeria

Whilst the Fennecs were lacklustre against Malawi, the one player who did impress was attacking midfielder Rafik Saifi.  Mali were poor tracking runners between the lines in their opener against Angola, and if they don’t tie Saifi down, he could cause them plenty of headaches with some well-timed runs into the penalty area. 

Prediction

With both sides defensively poor in their opening games, and with little time to be able to address these issues, it could be another open match in a tournament that has already seen plenty of attacking play.  With both sides strength to be found in midfield, the side that can influence play most from this area should come out on top.  Nevertheless, Mali have slightly better options in attack, so might just be able to shade this one.

 Mali 3-2 Algeria