Zimpapers Logo

Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
AFRICAN champions Algeria showed Warriors coach, Zdravko Logarusic, that they mean real business by fielding an All-Star starting XI, including Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, in their friendly international against Mexico on Tuesday night.

The Desert Foxes appeared on course for victory, at The Hague in the Netherlands, when they led 2-1, thanks to a second half strike by Mahrez, with just few minutes remaining.

However, the Mexicans, who fielded Wolves forward Raul Jimenez in their starting XI, found a way to force an equaliser through Diego Lainez in the 86th minute.

They even had the chance to win the match but Hector Herrera and Jorge Sanchez both saw their efforts come off the crossbar in the closing minutes.

The Algerians fielded a very strong team which featured players from France, England, Italy and Qatar and were full value for their draw, given they controlled long periods of the match.

Their next battle is against the Warriors, in back-to-back Nations Cup qualifiers next month, which could provide Loga with a baptism of fire as he battles to settle in his new job.

He started his journey with a dull draw against Malawi, in a friendly international on Sunday, with the game being preceded by the kind of chaos which has become synonymous with Zimbabwean football.

Most of the players the Croat had targeted, for this match, to give him a good impression of how they play, and they can fit into his system, did not travel for a number of reasons.

Loga said about three players, from those he had not targeted for the match against Malawi, impressed him and could be fitted into the squad to prepare for the matches against the Algerians.

“Obviously, it’s not what I was looking forward to but we went to Malawi and drew the game. I was impressed by three players who will make it in the team for the clashes against Algeria,” he said.

While the match against Malawi was a dull affair, the Desert Foxes were stretching their unbeaten run to 20 games in all competitions.

The Algerians, who beat the Lions of Teranga of Senegal 1-0 to win the 2019 AFCON title in Egypt last year, on Tuesday forced a 2-2 draw against Mexico in their second international friendly this break.

They first beat Nigeria 1-0 in Austria on Friday before the draw against Mexico despite playing the better part of the second period with 10-man after the dismissal of Adlene Guedioura 10 minutes into the second half.

Mahrez scored the team’s second goal, with 23 minutes on the clock, after Ismael Bennacer’s goal, at the stroke of half-time, had cancelled Jesus Corona’s opener.

But, it is the tenacity, which the Algerians have shown over close to two years to go for 20 matches without tasting defeat, which should tell Loga that he is in for a tough ride.

The Warriors have four points, from the first two matches and, should they lose both matches against the Algerians, one of the two sides at the bottom of the table, Botswana and Zambia, could catch up with them.

Interestingly, the Desert Foxes, who thrashed Zambia 5-0 in the opening match of the qualifiers, have not beaten the Warriors in their last three matches.

Zimbabwe beat Algeria 2-1 at the 2004 AFCON finals, in their last group game of the campaign, before forcing a 2-2 draw away in the 2006 AFCON/World Cup qualifiers a year later.

The Warriors again forced another 2-2 draw, when they met the Desert Foxes, in a group game in the 2017 AFCON finals in Gabon.

The Algerians top the group on six points while the Warriors have four points.