Algeria’s players have expressed confidence ahead of their opening match of the 2026 World Cup after a commanding 4-0 victory over Bolivia in their final warm-up fixture before the tournament.
The Desert Warriors produced an impressive display in the friendly match, with Amine Gouiri scoring twice and further goals from Aissa Mandi and Anis Hadj Moussa securing a comprehensive win.
The result comes at a crucial stage of Algeria’s preparations for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where they will begin their campaign against Argentina, led by Lionel Messi.
Players and coaching staff will take encouragement from another convincing performance, particularly as the team continues a run of matches without conceding a goal.
Boulbina Praises Team Effort
Adel Boulbina, who contributed two assists during the victory over Bolivia, said the result reflected the hard work put in by the squad and their determination to meet supporters’ expectations.
Speaking after the match, he said: “We are very happy with this match. The great effort made by the players was reflected in the result. We appeared in a good way, and we did everything we had to do. We were keen to implement the coach’s instructions and to satisfy the fans with a level that befits their aspirations.”
Boulbina also highlighted the challenging conditions in which the game was played, pointing to the impact of the weather on the players.
“The humidity was high, which certainly affected us, but we are required to get used to these conditions and overcome them in order to deliver the best performance and achieve the best possible results in the World Cup,” he said.
The midfielder believes recent results have given Algeria valuable momentum ahead of football’s biggest tournament.
“Winning against the Netherlands, and then winning 4-0 against Bolivia, will give the Algerian national team the opportunity to enter the World Cup in good spirits. We hope to perform well in the World Cup, and to please the Algerian fans.”
Strong Support From Fans
Boulbina also paid tribute to the Algerian supporters who turned out in large numbers for the match.
“The support we receive from the Algerian community seems wonderful. Personally, I don’t know where these fans are coming from in such large numbers. All we want is for this presence to continue in the World Cup matches.”
Attention is already shifting towards Algeria’s opening World Cup encounter against Argentina, a match expected to attract global interest because of Messi’s presence.
Asked about facing the Argentine captain, Boulbina responded cautiously.
“I am not the one to talk about Messi, he remains Messi, but we must be ready and enter the match strongly.”
The player also pointed to Algeria’s recent defensive consistency as another reason for optimism.
“This is the fourth or fifth match in which we have come out without conceding goals, which reflects the amount of work done in the previous period. We want to continue to give our best effort, and why not go as far as possible in the World Cup.”
Gouiri Sees Room for Improvement
Two-goal hero Amine Gouiri also welcomed the result but stressed that Algeria still has work to do before the start of the tournament.
The Marseille forward described the performance against Bolivia as an important step in the team’s preparations.
“We played a very good game against Bolivia, we achieved an important victory and we will be fully prepared for Algeria’s first match in the World Cup against Argentina.”
Gouiri said preparations would continue over the coming days as the squad focuses on its opening Group Ten fixture.
“Our preparations are continuing in good conditions. We still have another week to prepare for the Argentina match. Everyone knows that we are required to work hard, and we are confident in the support we will receive from the fans who support us from all over the world.”
The striker acknowledged the expectations surrounding the national team and said the players understood their responsibilities.
“We are aware of the magnitude of the responsibilities placed upon us, so we continue to work very diligently, all in order to achieve the required results and to appear at a distinguished level that makes all the fans proud of what the Algerian national team is experiencing at the present time.”
Despite the convincing scoreline, Gouiri insisted Algeria would not become complacent.
“It was a preparatory match, but we managed to control its minutes and win by a large margin. It certainly looks great, but we still have some things to work on to correct them, in order to appear in the best possible way at the World Cup.”
With confidence high following successive positive results, Algeria now turns its full attention to the challenge of facing Argentina and Lionel Messi as its World Cup journey begins.
