48 hours before Belgium opener, Algerians hold their breath

The Algerians hold their breath, 48 hours of the first match of Algeria’s Desert Foxes versus Belgium’s Red Devils, who eye the leadership of the group H, in World Cup 2014 finals in Brazil.
Even if the Algerian team, the first African Eleven having beaten a European team, Germany, (World Cup-1982 in Spain), have several shortcomings, especially in the defensive compartment during the two friendly matches against Armenia (3 -1) and Romania (2-1), some experts refuse to doubt about their real capacities to "create surprise" to counter the ambition of Belgium, a team that have not participated in the finals of the World Cup since 2002.
After a disappointing participation in their first World Cup South Africa, 2010 after 24 years of absence, the Algerian dream of qualifying to the Round of 16 seems to remain intact since Algeria have been victim of the Austro-German conspiracy during the World Cup-1982 in Gijon (Spain).
The scandal of El Molino has forced the FIFA to review the rules of the matches scheduling in the finals, but it has never relieved Algerians’ frustration.
"We want to make history of Algerian football," said striker Islam Slimani and top scorer at the African qualifying campaign. Although Algeria is in a tough group (Belgium, Russia and South Korea), this player and his teammates want to revive the feat of Gijon in June 1982 (Algeria-Germany 2 1).
 "Everyone remembers 1982 and Rabah Madjer, Salah Assad or Lakhdar Belloumi. We want to follow their footsteps and make history of the Algerian football," Slimani told FIFA.com.
Algerian midfielder Saphir Taider and striker Nabil Ghilas share the same ambition, or the same aspiration.
Speaking on behalf their teammates, the two players showed in a news conference that they are fully aware of their mission in Brazil.
We will have to honor the country by qualifying for the first time to the second round," they said in Sorocaba (100 km of Sao Paulo), despite coach, Vahid Halilodzic calling them to be "modest".
"We are facing a simple equation. This match is a turning point. We must, at all costs, win. A good result would open the doors for a qualification to the second round," said Nabil Ghilas.
Nearly 2,000 Algerian supporters headed to Brazil, a country of contrasts with more than 200 million capita and the world’s seventh largest economy (behind Russia), to support the men of Vahid Halilhodzic..
The team have 90 minutes to convince, (Tuesday 5:00 p.m. Algerian time) to confirm this desire and to fulfill the dream of nearly 39 million Algerians.
Source: APS