We respect Argentina very much. They are championship candidates and also the reigning world champions. But we are here to compete, not to set the stage," the Algerian head coach said before the match against Argentina.
Algeria returned to the World Cup after 12 years of absence and was significantly underestimated compared to the South American representative. However, the 62-year-old coach believes that his team did not enter the match with a mentality of giving up.
According to Mr. Petkovic, if the players show their true ability and maintain their concentration, Algeria can completely aim for a positive result against the top candidate for the championship.
Since taking over the Algerian national team in February 2024, coach Petkovic has contributed to helping the North African team regain stability after a period of lack of conviction. With many players playing in top European national championships, Algeria is still considered one of the powers of African football.
However, coach Petkovic admitted that Argentina will be a particularly difficult challenge. He believes that his players not only need to prepare carefully in terms of expertise and fitness but also have a solid mentality in the face of pressure from the world champion.
When asked about the plan to block superstar Lionel Messi, the Algerian coach said that he did not build a separate plan for the Argentine captain.
I agree with what coach Scaloni said. This is an important match to score points, but not a match that determines the entire campaign," Petkovic shared.
He also warned his students not to get caught up in provocations on the field.
Provoking Argentine players is like poking a beehive. That is unfair and also very risky," the 62-year-old strategist emphasized.
According to the format of the 2026 World Cup, in addition to the top two teams in each group, 8 third-placed teams with the best results also qualify for the round of 16. Therefore, the result of the opening match is not decisive for the teams' chances of advancing.
After the clash with Argentina, Algeria will meet Jordan on June 22 in San Francisco and Austria on June 27 in Kansas City.
