Algeria secured a 1-0 win over the UAE in Germany in their final pre-World Cup match (Algeria 500/1 outright winners).
Karim Ziani scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the second half as coach Rabah Saadane answered some of the critics who rounded on him in the defeat in Ireland last week.
The squad Saadane used included defensive pillars Madjid Bougherra and Antar Yahia as well as Medhi Lacen in midfield, while under-fire Yazid Mansouri kept his place in the starting line-up despite his poor showing against Ireland.
Srecko Katanec’s UAE team were well organised early on and put pressure on Faouzi Chaouchi on two occasions.
Algeria should have taken the lead in the 17th minute after an inspired run by Ziani who found Rafik Djebbour in the box but the AEK Athens forward failed to get on the end of the pass.
The game was a sloppy yet energetic affair, with the UAE more than holding their own against their World Cup-bound opponents.
Forwards Matar and Ahmed Khalil were doing their best to trouble the resolute Algerian backline while the Fennecs attempted to inject as much pace into the game as possible, desperately in search of their first goal in three matches.
The start of the second half saw Khalil once again pestering the Algerians with his constant pressure but Chaouchi was alert and brave to come out of his goal and make a vital clearance.
Four minutes into the second half, Algeria won a penalty when Sabil handled the ball in his area. Ziani stepped up and blasted the ball past Humaid with a powerful shot to give the Desert Foxes a 1-0 lead.
Faisal Khalil was subbed into the match for Al Shihi in the 54th minute as Katanec looked for more offensive solutions. Saadane countered by putting in Ghezzal for Rafik Saifi, Djebbour for Boudebouz, and Foued Kadir for Mansouri.
Algeria dominated possession for the rest of the encounter but still couldn’t add a second and remain without a goal from open play in their last three four outings.
Saadane said after the game: “This game was a good test for us. It was very tough and a high level.
“It demonstrated the capabilities of the team, especially with the players returning from injury and took us a step closer to where we want to be. There was a lot of willingness on the part of players, who have given a great deal in these last few weeks.”
He added: “Among the positives are the physicality of the players. We played an attacking game today to try and win, given our status as a World Cup team.
“There were many problems with ball retention. No one could keep the ball and I asked the players at half-time to improve on this and they did in the second half. There are still some problems in attack, where our finishing was lacking. Hopefully we’ll have this during the World Cup.”
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