BOUAKE, Côte d’Ivoire – Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi admitted that the game against Burkina Faso in their second Group D tie of the AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire was a tough one.
“I’m very satisfied with what they gave on the pitch today. We allowed Burkina Faso to dominate more in the first half but we came into the second half better so we are satisfied and I’m satisfied with the draw,” Belmadi said during the post-match press conference.
“It was a difficult match with a difficult team but coming out with a draw, we will take that for now”.
Held in check on the first day by Angola, Algeria were desperate for a win when facing Burkina Faso in their second Group D match.
The highly entertaining and drama filled tie concluded with both sides sharing the spoils with a 2-2 draw.
“The Burkina Faso team put a lot of pressure and intensity in this match; nothing was easy for us against a very difficult side so we will look ahead with the point and get to cross this group stage.”
The last match of the group sees Algeria facing Mauritania on Tuesday January 23, while group leaders, Burkina Faso will take on Angola.
Belmadi concluded that he has observed his side’s mistakes and will improve in their last group game.
“I have observed the mistakes we did and will use it to better our last group match. We could have been disappointed and nervous but we made sure we come to the second game with a better mindset.
“I’m sure with these players we will get far in this competition,” Belmadi added according to cafonline.
Burkina Faso head coach, Hubert Velud said his side had a greater chance of winning the game but let it slide in the last minute against Algeria.
Velud praised his side for their intensity and blamed the late equaliser on lack of concentration but hopes they will learn from it.
“We had a very good game. We came close to winning but the regret we have is losing concentration for us to concede at the last minute but it was a very beautiful game. I’m satisfied.
“We did what we wanted to do. Very efficient but we could have taken things more serious in the last minutes. We need to work on the little details then we will come back better,” he said after the game according to cafonline.
With the match destined for another Burkina Faso win, Djamel Belmadi’s showed character by fighting back to salvage a point and keep their campaign alive. With the game evenly balanced for most parts of the opening half, it was the Stallions who opened the scoring through a stunning header by Mohamed Konate with seconds before the break.
Coming back from the recess, Baghdad Bounedjah pounced on a defensive mix up with the equaliser in the 51st minute.
With momentum on their side, Algeria dominated the encounter but failed to capitalise on a number of created opportunities. For this, they were severely punished after Bertrand Traore levelled matters with a penalty in the 71st minute to regain the advantage.
Speaking after the game, Bounedjah said the team had a discussion with the coach after the first half and they came into the second half much stronger.
“We had a discussion about the game and talked about the tactical aspect of the game. If we are in there, we will draw. We had a discussion with the coach as a team and agreed to comeback stronger in the second half,” he said after.
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