2026 World Cup / Algeria - Austria: Key points from Vladimir Petković's press conference

27.06.26 FT World Cup

Algeria

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Austria

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On the eve of a decisive clash against Austria, Vladimir Petković provided an update on his squad and Algeria's ambitions. With Amoura's absence confirmed, reassuring news about Bensebaïni, and the must-win scenario, the Greens' head coach called on his players to fully embrace this crucial moment.

The Bosnian tactician first confirmed a major blow with the absence of Mohamed Amoura.

"Amoura will not be available against Austria. The rest of the squad is ready. We're facing a top opponent and we need to be very realistic in our play if we want to win this match."

Confident in his team’s ability, Petković nevertheless intends to stick to his principles:

"I believe we have our own style of play. We'll try to impose it on Austria."

Read also: 2026 World Cup: Teams qualified and eliminated so far!

A decisive match and no calculations

The former Switzerland coach made no secret of the importance of the occasion.

"This is a very important match, decisive for qualification. It comes at just the right time. We've played two good games. Our team is ready and we'll be ready for tomorrow's match."

The message is clear: focus solely on Austria.

"We want to put on a good display. We want to play our game without thinking about Spain. We'll give everything to win against Austria."

Petković also refused to speculate on other results:

"We have to rely on ourselves and win this match against Austria to avoid any calculations."

Determined, he also stressed the need to be more clinical:

"Tomorrow, we'll step onto the pitch and we have to score against Austria."

An optimistic coach

Despite the heavy defeat to Argentina (0-3), the coach remains confident in his squad.

"I always see the glass as half full, not half empty. We performed well, even against Argentina. The first goal came from 16 meters out."

He also expects his team to confirm their progress:

"I want the players to show me their improvement tomorrow."

Reflecting on the victory over Jordan, Petković also praised his players’ commitment and the importance of squad depth:

"Jordan may not have done better than in the first half. We tried to put them under pressure. Ninety minutes require a lot of effort, which is why you need to keep options on the bench to make the difference. The players know their objectives."

Regarding Austria, the Bosnian insisted on the need to stay focused on Algeria’s own game:

"Austria has strengths and weaknesses. We need to stay focused on our own performance and seize every opportunity that comes our way."

A call to the fans and big ambitions

Petković then sent a message to Algerian supporters:

"We need all our supporters tomorrow to help us qualify for the next round."

He added:

"We really appreciated the support during our first match in Kansas City. I’m expecting many Algerians to support us tomorrow."

On Ramy Bensebaini, the coach sounded reassuring:

"Ramy Bensebaini is in good shape. He took a knock early in the match, but he continued against Jordan. I’m optimistic that he’ll be at 100% tomorrow."

Finally, Petković revealed his ambitions for this World Cup and praised the progress of African football:

"Our team wants to go as far as possible in this World Cup. There are some very strong teams on paper, but in this tournament, anything is possible. Even if we lose to stronger teams early on, anything can still happen. The favorites often have the edge, but the underdogs have their say too."

He also emphasized:

"Africa has shown that it deserves to play in a major competition. I hope this will continue in the future. I believe we can qualify for the second round."

The coach finally highlighted the importance of communication within his staff:

"Speaking several languages ​​helps get the message across. My assistant also speaks several languages to relay instructions to my players."

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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