CAN-2022: the invincible Algeria, scarecrow of the draw

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Algeria, undefeated for 27 matches, is the selection that everyone wants to avoid Tuesday during the draw for the future groups of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Cameroon, host country of the competition from January 9 to February 6, 2022.

Algeria is scary. While the draw for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations is due to take place on Tuesday August 17 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, each of the qualifying nations hope not to end up in the group of the defending champion, invincible for 27 matches.

Cameroon, Senegal, Tunisia and Algeria in favorites

Cameroon, Senegal and Tunisia are also title contenders, as seeds alongside Morocco and Nigeria. A status that does not have Egypt, seven times champion, Ghana, Ivory Coast or Mali, main outsiders of this CAN.


Favorites for a third title in the competition, the Algerian Fennecs are part of the 24 qualified, who will be divided into six groups. The first, second and the four best third from each group will advance to the round of 16.

Holders of the title after their victory in the final over Senegal (1 to 0) in the 2019 edition, Mahrez’s teammates are in the process of establishing a record series of invincibility: in June, by beating Tunisia in a friendly ( 2-0), they brought their number of consecutive unbeaten matches to 27, bringing down the African record set by the Ivory Coast of Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré in 2013.

Since their defeat (1-0) against Benin almost three years ago, as part of the CAN 2019 qualifiers, the record of the Fennecs is 20 wins for 7 draws, with 58 goals scored for 17 conceded.

Riyad Mahrez and Belmadi at the wand

Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez is the star of a team made up of players, many of whom were born abroad to Algerian parents and play in European or Middle Eastern clubs.

Several executives of the team will play in the Champions League this season: Mahrez, but also defender Aïssa Mandi, who plays for Villarreal, and AC Milan midfielder Ismaël Bennacer.

Mahrez is now the captain of the selection. He attributes much of the credit for the current good results of the Fennecs to the work of coach Djamel Belmadi, former Manchester City midfielder now aged 45.

“He is a national treasure. We cannot overstate his importance in the team. What Djamel does is deeply respected by all Algerians,” according to Mahrez.

Belmadi is worried, however, that the favorites have not been able to win the CAN since 2010. At the time, Egypt had become the first nation to win it three times in a row.

A competition that rarely smiles at the favorites

But since then, the seeds have faltered every time. In 2012, it was Zambia who surprised their world by winning against the Ivory Coast of Drogba. A year later, Nigeria had beaten the pawn to the Ivorian or Ghanaian favorites.

The Ivorian Elephants were titled in 2015, a year when they were not expected. And two years ago Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia seemed better equipped than the Fennecs to win the CAN.

For Cameroon, the organization of the CAN has had everything to do with obstacles. Dispossessed of the 2019 edition in favor of Egypt due to delays in preparations, the Central African country was forced to change the dates of the tournament twice, first citing climatic reasons and then due to the fact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even the draw, originally scheduled for June, has been delayed.

On the pitch, some coaches will be under strong pressure for results, notably Vahid Halilhodzic with Morocco and Gernot Rohr with Nigeria. The Bosnian is forced to reach at least the semi-finals with the Atlas Lions. The German, he was summoned to win the competition by the bosses of Nigerian football.

With AFP