Algeria came from behind to beat Niger 2-1 in a friendly in Tizi Ouzou on Tuesday, but the result did little to disguise an unconvincing performance that Ilan Kebbal described in stark terms.
The Fennecs had been hoping to end the international break with a morale-boosting victory after narrowly avoiding a major setback in Burundi last week, when they drew 2-2 in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Instead, although they secured the win, their display left plenty of concerns.
Niger exposed repeated weaknesses in the Algeria defence and took the lead in the 12th minute through Konan Ndri, silencing the crowd in Tizi Ouzou.
Algeria struggled throughout the first half and only began to respond decisively after the interval. Brahim Belloumi was introduced following Ibrahim Maza’s injury and quickly became central to the hosts’ revival.
The winger brought Algeria level in the 53rd minute with an excellent direct free-kick. Ramy Bensebaini then completed the turnaround from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute after Adil Boulbina had won the spot-kick.
Kebbal was lively on the right but could not make the expected impact in front of goal. After the match, he offered a frank assessment of Algeria’s performance in what was the third game of the Brahim Hemdani era.
The result extended Hemdani’s unbeaten start, but the manager is already facing pressure despite having avoided defeat. Algeria’s struggles against Niger followed the disappointing draw in Burundi and raised further questions about the team’s progress under their new coach.
Sohaib Nair, who made his first Algeria appearance after starting at right-back, urged patience with Hemdani and said the team needed time to absorb his ideas.
“The coach has only just arrived, so we need to give him a little time to put his system in place. You cannot learn how to play in 15 days. We are working well, so things will improve,” said the versatile AS Saint-Etienne defender.
Algeria’s victory therefore provided the result they wanted, but not the convincing performance they had sought before the end of the international window. The Fennecs recovered from an early deficit through Belloumi’s free-kick and Bensebaini’s penalty, yet their defensive vulnerability and first-half difficulties remained the defining features of the match.
