Khaberni - The big victory of the Algerian national team over Sudan with a score of 3-0 at the beginning of their journey in the African Nations Cup football tournament was not just a strong start to the tournament, but also a remarkable moment in the career of the new goalkeeper, Luca Zidane, who proved himself from the first match as the main goalkeeper for the Algerian team.
In the new goalkeeper's career, Luca Zidane, who proved himself from the first match as the main goalkeeper for the Algerian team.
Luca Zidane (27 years old), who plays for the Spanish club Granada, made his first appearance in the African Nations Cup finals in a dazzling way, keeping a clean sheet against the attacks of the Sudanese team, and showed calm and high confidence under the pressure of a major tournament.
The strong performance of the young goalkeeper led to a feeling of stability in the Algerian defense with the presence of prominent players like Rayan Ait Nouri and Rami Ben Sabaini, proving that he is not just a tactical choice, but a crucial element in the team.
Vladimir Petkovic, the coach of the Algerian national team, praised Zidane's performance saying: "Luca gave the group a sense of security, played with confidence and calm, and delivered an exceptional performance despite it being one of his first matches with the team, his presence in the goal gave us great stability".
The official website of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) mentioned that Luca Zidane could have chosen a different international path, as he had previously played with French youth teams, but he chose Algeria, after significant encouragement from his grandfather, and Zidane said: "My grandfather encouraged me to play for Algeria, I wanted to honor him with this decision, and having my family here gives me additional courage".
The presence of his father, Zinedine Zidane, the 1998 World Cup champion with France, in the stands at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat, was just proof of the great family support, but it did not distract Luca, who maintained his composure throughout the match.
Goalkeeping in Algeria has a long history with prominent names like Rais M'Bolhi, and today, Luca Zidane carries the torch for this role; his performance against Sudan, with a clean sheet and calmness under pressure, reflects the keeper's readiness to deal with the great responsibility, contributing to building play from the back, and smartly directing the defense line.
After this remarkable start, the Algerian team is facing a tough match against Burkina Faso tomorrow, Sunday, in an encounter that might decide the top spot in Group Five.
Zidane will need to replicate the same performance, maintaining the defensive balance of the team against strong and regular attacks, to ensure the continuation of an ideal start to the tournament.
