Algeria coach: “I don’t agree that Guinea were better”

Algeria head coach Vladimir Petkovic refused to concede superiority to Guinea after the two sides played out a goalless draw on Monday in Casablanca, insisting that the Desert Foxes remain in control of their World Cup qualification hopes.

Speaking after the match at Stade Mohamed V, Petkovic said:
“Our destiny is still in our hands, and I congratulated the players in the dressing room for their effort. Guinea are a good team, but we could have won had we taken our chances. The important thing is that we pushed them away from the qualification race.”

On the defensive performance, he noted:
“We didn’t concede, which is positive against a side that has a top striker like Guirassy.”

Explaining his attacking choices, Petkovic added:
“We have 26 players and only 16 can be used. My desire to play attacking football led me to keep more forwards on the bench. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to involve everyone, including Belaili.”

When asked about Guinea’s display, the coach dismissed suggestions that his team were second-best:
“I don’t agree that Guinea were better. In the second half we played well and showed strong character.”

Petkovic also reflected on African football more broadly:
“African teams deserve respect. Morocco achieved something exceptional at the last World Cup, which proves everything is possible.”

Regarding the wasted opportunities, he said:
“It’s difficult to replicate one-on-one or two-on-one situations with the goalkeeper in training. It’s rare to miss three clear chances in one match. I believe in October we will be stronger physically and mentally.”

Looking ahead, Petkovic downplayed talk of the Africa Cup of Nations for now:
“AFCON is still far away. Our focus is on the October qualifiers, then in November we will think about preparing for the tournament.”

Group G standings:

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