Khaberni - The Algerian Nourredine Zekri, coach of the Saudi youth team, dropped a bombshell before the anticipated match between the Algeria team and their Jordanian counterparts at the 2026 World Cup, when he affirmed the clear superiority of the "Desert Warriors" over "Al-Nashama".
The 2026 World Cup draw placed the "Greens" in Group Ten alongside teams from Argentina (world champion), Jordan, and Austria, where Riyad Mahrez’s teammates will look for a new World Cup achievement after reaching the Round of 16 in their last appearance in Brazil in 2014.
The "Greens" will open the World Cup by facing Argentina on June 17 at Kansas City Stadium, before they clash with Jordan in a strong Arab derby on June 23 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, San Francisco, and then return to Kansas City to play against Austria on June 28.
Nourredine Zekri stated that Algeria’s failure to win against Jordan in the 2026 World Cup would be a total failure, during a live broadcast, on Friday, on the official Facebook page of Algerian media personality Yousef Ben Sara. He said: "If we can't beat the Jordan team, we should stop playing soccer."
He explained: "The resources available to the Algerian team are very substantial; having great players is enough, and if we can’t win against Jordan, we should stop playing soccer," adding: "The Jordan team does not match the level of the Algeria team."
Nourredine Zekri also spoke about his player at the Saudi youth team, Yacine Adli, who recently caused controversy when he apologized for his previous statements regarding the Algeria team and confirmed his readiness to defend its jersey in the upcoming period, despite having previously rejected it and preferred the French team.
Zekri in his comments to the same source said: "I have known Yacine Adli since he was playing in Italy with AC Milan. I watched him several times from the San Siro stadium and know his technical abilities well and what he can offer," and added: "Someone who plays in the Italian league cannot just be an ordinary player."
He emphasized: "He is a very special player. Adli the person is a well-mannered and devout individual, who is attached to Algeria and feels a strong sense of belonging and love for his country," before confirming: "I asked him about the Algeria team issue and his previous statements, and he assured me that his statements (preferring the French team) were misunderstood and was not able to go to Algeria to correct what was said about him."
He continued: "What I gathered from Adli is that his words were misinterpreted. He told me that Belmadi was the first to contact him and he agreed to play with the Algerian team, but afterwards, there was no further contact," and stressed: "What I sensed from him is that he loves his country and hopes to play with the Algeria team."
