Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi is unhappy over his team’s finishing after they came from a goal down to defeat visitors Niger on Thursday night in Algiers.
The Desert Warriors rallied to defeat the Menas 2-1 in a Group F qualifying tie of the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
It was a third straight win for Algeria sending them to a comfortable nine points in the group.
Belmadi said although they dominated play, his team was not sharp enough to take the chances which were created.
“We need to improve on the finishing when we face Niger again next week,” the Algeria coach Belmadi said after the game.
Led by their England-based skipper Riyaz Mahrez, the home side kicked off the match attacking in numbers, while the Niger team sat back to absorb the pressure.
Against the run of play, Daniel Sosah put the Niger team ahead at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers after 38 minutes. The FC Isloch striker lobbed Algeria’s goalkeeper from 30 yards.
But the Desert Warriors did not give up and kept pushing forward.
Algeria made a rapid start to the second half with Baghdad Bounedjah’s well-taken header blocked for a corner after 51 minutes.
But it was not long before Bounedjah headed in a well-taken Mahrez cross three minutes later. However, defender Abdel Rahim Bonkano Alhassane seemed to have had a touch on the ball before it crossed the line for Algeria’s equalizer.