Algeria Unfazed by Hostile Reception in Lome

Algeria are determined not to be fazed by a hostile reception in their quest to bag all points in Togo.

The North Africans are joint table-toppers of group D along with Benin with each on seven points – a win away from a grabbing an automatic place in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Yaoundé.

And Desert Foxes’ gaffer Djamel Belmadi is determined not to be bothered or bullied by provocations when his charges face the Sparrow Hawks on Sunday.

“The provocation? I do not care. It’s bullying, that’s all! The most important thing is the green rectangle. You have to win on the field. The players are focused on the match and we do not give too much importance to that (hostility),” he said, just before leaving Algiers for the West African country.

Commenting on the team’s preparation, the footballer-turned gaffer says serene and calm is the general atmosphere in the Foxes’ camp ahead of the duel.

He continued: “There has always been a good atmosphere within the group. The players are a good group, but know that what matters to me the most are the good results. It is important.”

Algeria’s new coach will be keen to return to winning ways having lost his previous outing in a shock loss to The Squirrels of Benin – his first defeat in the three matches he’d managed so far.

In a related development regarding the Nations Cup qualifiers, South Sudan’s search for a first point stretches to five games after losing 5-2 to group C headline-makers Burundi.

Tunisia also endured defeat to Egypt 3-2 in a keenly contested cracking episode as Cameroon also bit the dust to Morocco 2-0, all on Friday.