Senegal-Algeria: “It’s this match that…”, Djamel Belmadi warns Aliou Cissé

Algeria’s national coach, Djamel Belmadi, has warned the Teranga Lions that they will not be given special treatment as the Fennecs face Senegal on September 12 in Dakar.

Senegal will cross crampons with Algeria on September 12, at the Abdoulaye Wade stadium in Diamnodio. A friendly meeting, which will serve as a test for the two coaches, before the final phase of CAN 2023 which will begin next January in Côte d’Ivoire.

But for Djamel Belmadi, this opposition is not just a simple gala duel. The Greens coach believes that this is the perfect opportunity for the Lions of Téranga to reduce the gap with the North African giant. The reigning African champions remain in fact on five defeats against the gang in Riyad Mahrez.

“ Senegal is the reigning African champion. Today, if I can put it that way, it is the ogre of Africa. He just beat a very competitive Brazil on the last FIFA date. We’re going to play them at their place and that’s a real big match for me. A real big test for us.” I didn’t know this statistic. Over the last five matches, there are five victories for Algeria,” notes Belmadi who thinks that “if there was an opportunity for them to set the record straight, it was this match. »

An outing which goes against Aliou Cissé who announced at a press conference that this meeting is not a revenge he wants to take on Algeria: “the choice of this match lies in the game, the progression of our team. It will not be a rematch, but, to follow a sporting policy put in place by the national technical director and the Senegalese Football Federation.

In any case, the approaches seem different for the two coaches, but neither will want to lose. It is a meeting to gauge their levels, before the CAN, which is the final objective for these two great teams.