“Messi is not in our mind”. Algeria’s coach challenges Argentina

All eyes are on the “Kansas City” stadium, where the Algerian team is playing its first World Cup match against Argentina in an unprecedented atmosphere.

The Desert Warriors live in high confidence due to the support of the Algerian community abroad, in addition to the unexpected support of the people of Lawrence, which made the atmosphere around the national team delegation resemble a football wedding before the start of the expected showdown.

Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic, according to La Gazette de Fenix, expressed his pride at the great public support that has accompanied the team since arriving in the United States, stressing that this popular support gives the players a huge moral boost.

“We are used to large crowds attending our matches, and that is what distinguishes Algerian football. They sometimes criticize us, but they never leave us. Seeing this large number of fans, including Americans, is very exciting. I hope we don’t disappoint them.”

Although the media’s focus is on Argentine star Lionel Messi, Petkovic refused to turn the clash into a personal conflict, stressing that Argentina are “an integrated team built on solid team play and experience gained during major tournaments”.

He stressed that his focus is on his team’s collective performance rather than controlling a specific player, adding that “the Algerian team is physically and mentally ready to face the challenge, although they are aware of the difficulty of the task facing the world champions.”

The Bosnian coach from Switzerland emphasized the strong start in the tournament, considering that achieving a positive result in the first match gives the team the necessary confidence for the rest of the way.

“We have been working hard in recent weeks and are ready to face Argentina. We are not favorites to win, but surprises are possible in the World Cup. We have to play with focus and believe in our ability to keep up with the world champions.”

When asked how to deal with Messi, Petkovic answered confidently. “There is no specific plan to stop him. Rather, we will try to limit the risk to the entire team. Argentina has the advantage in theory, but nothing is impossible in football. We have to put in more effort than them if we want to win or at least get a positive result.”