Mauritania-Algeria is a match in the group stage of the African Cup of Nations and is played Tuesday at 9 p.m.: free-to-air TV, likely lineups, predictions.
Penultimate within Group D with only 2 points won in as many matches, Algeria must reckon with the specter of another elimination at the group stage, which would be the second consecutive one after the one that occurred two years ago in Cameroon. Djamel Belmadi’s men have not gone beyond two draws with Angola (1-1) and Burkina Faso (2-2) and are now “condemned” to win with Mauritania. Hoping, at the same time, that in the other challenge Angolans and Burkinabé do not draw.
And the reason is quickly said: leading the standings at the moment are Angola and Burkina Faso, with 4 points; Algeria has two less but remains within reach of overtaking, while Mauritania, stuck at zero, is now one step away from elimination. If Algeria, as is likely, does not slip up against the Mourabitounes, it could also find itself in the company of the two selections that are currently in front: a scenario that can only occur in the event of a draw between Angola and Burkina Faso, at which point the top two places will be decided by the avulse ranking. That is why it will be important for Algeria to score as many goals as possible against Mauritania (from a goal difference perspective).
Algeria, watch out for the goal difference
Amir Abdou’s men have lost both of the two matches played so far but would have deserved to take away at least a point.
Against Burkina Faso they were chastened in full recovery by a Traoré penalty, while with Angola they found the way to the goal twice (Bouna and Koita) but ended up losing 3-2 at the end of a pyrotechnic match, a rarity in this competition. Algeria, on the other hand, has to thank its center forward Baghdad Bounedjah, who scored a brace against Burkina Faso: the second goal came when the match director had the whistle practically in his mouth, preventing a defeat that would have been disastrous.
The prediction
Algeria has disappointed so far, but in these two matches they have never had any difficulty piercing the opponent’s defenses. And it will be no problem to pierce that of lowly Mauritania in a contest of at least three goals total. The Desert Foxes’ victory does not seem in question.
Mauritania-Algeria
probable lineups.
MAURITANIA (4-3-3): Niasse; Keita, El Abd, Ba, Abeid; Gassama, Fofana, Mouhsine; Kamara, Bouna, Koita.
ALGERIA (4-3-3): Mandrea; Atal, Bensebaini, Mandi, Ait-Nouri; Feghouli, Bentaleb, Zerrouki; Belaili, Mahrez, Bounedjah.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-3
