From our special correspondent in Bouaké – Mauritania beat Algeria 1-0 on Tuesday in their final Group D match, eliminating the Fennecs from the competition. Two years after the CAN in Cameroon, Djamel Belmadi and his men are still going out through the back door.
Published on: 01/23/2024 – 11:03 p.m. Modified on: 01/23/2024 – 11:12 p.m.
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Mauritania finally has the first victory in its history at the CAN. A victory which will go down in history, against an Algeria which broke its teeth for 90 minutes on the Mourabitounes block (1-0).
At kick-off, the Algerians were faced with a simple equation: a simple draw and they are qualified for the round of 16 while a defeat eliminates them for sure. Nothing went as planned and it was their opponents who qualified down to the wire.
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To approach this crucial match, Djamel Belmadi chose to leave Riyad Mahrez and Youcef Belaïli on the bench, strongly criticized for their performances during the first two matches.
The 11 men chosen Djamel Belmadi logically take the game into their own hands against Amir Abdou’s Mauritania, still looking for the first victory in its history at the CAN. Ounas tries his luck on a free kick (15th, 18th). After good work between Boudaoui and Ounas, the winger centers back. Aouar emerges and regains his footing. The ball hits the Mauritania post (25th).
Mauritania opens the scoring
Domination, however, remains sterile. Mauritania plays together and plans to counterattack. A tactic that paid off as it ended up opening the scoring. From a corner, Mandrea deflects the ball outside the penalty area, a strike brings it back into the safe zone and Dellahi finishes the job (37th, 1-0). Better than a first victory, the Mourabitounes held an equally historic qualification at half-time.
The Fennecs must react and Mahrez enters in place of Aouar. But it is the Mauritanians who stand out. They take two consecutive corners and on the second, Mandrea is forced to make a headline to save the homeland (53rd).
Algeria cannot do it
Algeria would like to react but the Algerian bloc is completely disunited and too slow to worry the Mauritanian collective. Far from waiting for the Fennecs, the Mourabitounes try to put their heads under water thanks to a particularly strong Koïta, who slaloms among defenders reduced to the status of blocks. The peachy conclusion (56th).
Unable to disrupt Mauritania in the game, the Algerians relied on set pieces. Mahrez places a ball on Hicham Boudaoui’s head but it is Niasse Mbaye’s turn to shine (60th).
At the hour mark, Algeria finally passed the second. After a daring exit from Niasse Mbaye, Keita saves on the line a lobe from Youcef Belaïli (66th). Mandi is found at the far post on the set piece but Niasse Mbaye makes a reflex save from close range (70th). Lacking edge, the Algerians are struggling and it is Ba who is close to making the break but his shot finds Mandrea’s crossbar (83rd).
The referee gives the Algerians eleven long minutes to recover but it seems that the match could have lasted 111 minutes longer and that would not have changed anything. Mauritania wins its match and qualifies for the round of 16.
Two years after Cameroon, Algeria is once again leaving the CAN through the back door. She has still not won a match since her 2019 coronation in the continental competition. The end of a cycle certainly for the Fennecs.
As for Amir Abdou, the coach of Mauritania, he can now be described as a miracle worker. Two years after offering the Comoros a historic round of 16 for their first participation, he does it again with the Mauritanians. All with an exciting game throughout Group D.
