Algeria triggers alarm bells in the Netherlands

Africa Today at 05:31

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI

News Editor

03.06.26 FT Friendly International

Netherlands

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Algeria

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By claiming a prestigious 1-0 win on the De Kuip pitch, Algeria has done more than just notch a statement victory. Vladimir Petkovic’s men have sent shockwaves through the Netherlands, where criticism and concern are mounting just days before the 2026 World Cup.

Algeria’s feat in Rotterdam certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Defeated at home by Petkovic’s squad (1-0), the Netherlands find themselves in choppy waters with the World Cup only days away.

See also: Netherlands 0-1 Algeria: Algerian player ratings

Although the Oranje dominated large parts of the match, their failure to convert chances left Ronald Koeman fuming.

“I hate losing. We absolutely had to win this game, and I told the guys as much. It’s about taking responsibility. If you get four or five clear chances, you have to put at least one or two away to make the match much easier. We were far too soft for my liking. Timber and Dumfries are missing, but that’s no excuse. We simply should have won,” lamented the Dutch coach.

The Dutch press has been even harsher. Telegraaf is already talking about a “maximum alert,” while several pundits are questioning the true level of this squad. Even Virgil van Dijk didn’t hide his frustration:

“If you look at the match, we should have been at least 2-0 up. I hope the team quickly finds its rhythm and that we can finish our chances. We don’t play to lose; we have to do much better than that.”

One thing is clear: by winning at De Kuip, Algeria has sown serious doubt in the mind of one of the World Cup’s dark horses.

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