Algeria players prepare for match against Sudan.
Doha, Qatar: Four years after Algeria famously lifted the FIFA Arab Cup, coach Madjid Bougherra is back in Qatar leading the Desert Foxes as they begin their title defence.
Algeria defeated Tunisia 2-0 in extra time of a tense final, and now they will open their campaign for a second consecutive crown against Sudan in an all-African Group D clash at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
“I’m very happy to return to Doha for the Arab Cup, four years after winning the last edition here. We’re fully prepared to compete in the best possible way,” Bougherra told a pre-match press conference.
Placed 35th in the FIFA rankings, Algeria – despite missing several stars in Qatar – are still a force to be reckoned with, boasting the likes of Yacine Brahimi, Adil Boulbina and forward Islam Slimani.
Up against the 2026 World Cup-bound side in their opener are 118th-ranked Sudan, but Bougherra is not taking them lightly.
“We saw Palestine and Syria win, so surprises can happen,” he said, referring to the identical 1-0 victories over pre-tournament favourites Qatar and Tunisia respectively on the opening day.Algeria coach Madjid Bougherra
“In tournaments like this, every team is a contender. That doesn’t pressure us – we are ready and the players must stay focused. We know Sudan well; we faced them in the last African Nations Championship. The difficult situation in their country gives them extra motivation to fight for their people.”
Forward Boulbina, familiar with Qatar pitches from his time with Al Duhail, agreed with the coach.
“We’re entering the tournament with full intensity. There are no big or small teams here,” he said.
“Facing Sudan will be tough. Everyone wants to beat us as defending champions, but we’re ready and well-prepared.”
Sudan will enter the match brimming with confidence after a 2-1 comeback victory over Lebanon – despite being down in the 24th minute – in the qualifiers in Doha last week.
Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah said his team is looking forward to a strong performance in the tournament.
“The Arab Cup is very important for our team and for the Sudanese people. We must take this opportunity and deliver strong performances,” he said yesterday.
“We want a strong start against Algeria, whom we respect. We’re not here just to participate; we aim to go as far as possible and make our people proud.”
Sudan midfielder Ammar Taifour also expressed confidence in a strong display. “We’re happy to be in Qatar for the Arab Cup, and we believe we can compete and get results,” he said.
“We’re excited for the tournament. Whoever the opponent is, we’ll try to beat them, and we aim to win the title to bring joy to our people.”
Iraq, Bahrain set to clash at Stadium 974
Later in Group D, Iraq will take on Bahrain at Stadium 974 eyeing a winning start in the tournament.
Iraq recently defeated the UAE to advance to the FIFA World Cup Play-off Tournament, with coach Graham Arnold hoping to use the Arab Cup as valuable preparation.
“We want to use the Arab Cup to prepare as strongly as possible for the World Cup play-off in March. We’re determined to give our best before the qualifier, and I’m confident the players will perform well and make the Iraqi fans in Qatar proud,” said Arnold.
Bahrain sealed their group stage berth after defeating Djibouti 1-0 in the qualifiers.
Coach Dragan Talajic hopes his team can continue their winning run.
“We’re ready and excited to face Iraq, and we’ll give our best for Bahrain. We respect Iraq they have developed and I hope they qualify for the World Cup finals,” said the coach.
