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In a tense match between two teams that lost their respective Group J openers, Algeria beat Jordan 2-1 after conceding the first goal but scoring twice from set pieces to earn a victory that kept alive their hopes of advancing to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
With the result, Jordan cannot advance to the round of 16, but will face Argentina in the final. While Algeria and Austria will face each other in a match that will decide second place in the group and guarantee advancement.
1. This was a close and tactical game
This was an interesting tactical battle from the beginning. It was clear that Algeria were going to control possession in a 3-4-3 formation, but would still look to play at a fast pace.
Jordan was going to stay out of possession in a conservative 4-2-3-1 formation and look to aggressively come into the attack, force turnovers and trap Algeria out of possession. Jordan was the big underdog in this game and had never won a World Cup match in its history.
Algeria had some very important performances. Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Ibrahim Maza was instrumental in applying pressure throughout the 90 minutes. But immediately, Algeria looked to attack from outside through left winger Farès Chaïbi and captain Riyad Mahrez on the right side, but neither was effective until the second half.
In their first match, Jordan lost to Austria 3-1, but were tied in the match until the 76th minute. It was an inspired performance as Jordan put Austria on his heels at many points.
In this game, Jordan maintained the same tactics and was initially effective, but in the end, Jordan could not keep up with Algeria’s adjustments. Midway through the first half, Algeria had more success in trying to get balls over the Jordan defense and find Marseille striker Amine Gouiri. Then in the second half, Algeria simply had too much quality.
2. Algeria won the chess game
(Photo by Elysia Su/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic made several key decisions in the second half that gave his team a good chance to come back. To start the second half, Petkovic made two key substitutions as he removed the two deepest midfielders and brought in more attacking options with pace. He also changed the team’s formation to a two-forward setup with full-backs pushed forward to combine with the wingers and overload the wide areas.
Around the 60th minute, Algeria were taking full control of the game and Jordan was completely overwhelmed. Algeria’s changes made the difference and Nadir Benbouali equalized.
In Jordan’s case, coach Jamal Sellami made a big mistake by waiting too long to make his first substitutions. Algeria was gaining pace and pressure. Jordan desperately needed to make a substitution to slow the game down and allow everyone to regroup. Sellami seemed to be waiting until the hydration break to make the move, but by then it was too late.
Jordan defended hard and aggressively, but his inability to defend set pieces was his downfall.
3. Costly mistakes played a huge factor
In this match, the first two goals came from errors.
Jordan was not bothered by Algeria’s huge possession advantage and instead looked to force errors by pressuring Algeria in their own half. Jordan’s tactical approach paid off in the 36th minute, when he took his first lead in a World Cup.
The play began with a terrible decision by Algerian midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki, who had the ball on the right side, well inside his own field. He then tried to throw a long circular ball through the center of the field. It was a decision in which groans were later heard from the large contingent of Algerian fans inside the stadium.
Jordan attacker Mousa Tamari took the ball on the right side and sent a ball to Nizar Al Rashdan, who then beat Luca Zidane with a clever shot with the side of his foot.
But the goal was completely avoidable from Algeria’s perspective. All that possession only increased the chances that the African team would eventually make a mistake. But this was even more painful because it originated from a reckless decision that offered very little advantage even if the pass was completed.
In the 69th minute, it was Jordan who conceded an avoidable goal. Algeria were completely in control and were enjoying a good run as they looked for an equaliser. On a corner kick, Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila took a few steps while trying to deflect the ball with a punch. When he realized he couldn’t reach the ball, he tried to retreat and was instead caught in no man’s land when Benbouali headed home.
4. It is not a memorable World Cup for Zidane
(Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In Algeria’s 3-0 loss to Argentina in their first match, Zidane faced criticism for his performance. In one goal, he made a save but couldn’t keep the ball. Instead, he dropped a rebound in the center of the area, which Lionel Messi was able to finish off with ease.
In this match, Zidane will once again face scrutiny from the Algerian fans and media because, in Al Rashdan’s goal, Zidane was able to get his hand on the shot, but was unable to deflect it from the goal. It wasn’t as egregious a mistake as the one he made against Algeria, but it was a shot that could have been saved. As Algeria’s World Cup hopes required a major save, Zidane was unable to deliver.
In this match, Zidane’s mistakes did not cost his team the victory. He remains a major concern for Algeria because it remains to be seen if his teammates have confidence in his ability to make big saves in important games.
It is a complicated situation for Zidane, whose father is one of the best players of all time, but this tournament has not gone well for him.
