Friendly: Algeria falls to Sweden after an explosive duel (3-4)

Sweden outclassed Algeria 4-3 this Tuesday, June 10, at the Strawberry Arena in Solna. In front of an ecstatic Scandinavian crowd, the Blågult dictated the tempo, inspired by a stunning hat-trick from Ken Sema. The Fennecs' late reaction proved too little, too late.

Highly anticipated tonight, the Sweden vs Algeria showdown delivered a spectacular display on the pitch of Strawberry Arena. In this pure goal fest, the Blågult caught the Fennecs off guard, who entered the match hoping to build on their momentum from the 2-0 win against Rwanda on June 5.

A lightning start from Sweden with a dazzling Ken Sema

Barely underway, Ken Sema stunned the Algerian goalkeeper before the quarter-hour mark. Set up by Jordan Larsson, the Paphos FC midfielder, deployed as a forward tonight, opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Before halftime, the same player doubled the lead in the 39th, finishing off a precise pass from his teammate Alexander Bernhardsson.

Right after the break, the 31-year-old continued his masterclass against Algeria. When Bensebaini brought down Bernhardsson just outside the box, Ken Sema completed his hat-trick by converting the penalty. Moments later, Anton Salétros fired home a majestic free kick in the 56th minute from twenty-five meters out to make it 4‑0.

The Fennecs fight back

Trailing 4-0, Algeria finally sprang into action, aiming to turn the game around or at least restore some pride. Set up by Benzia in the 64th minute, Ismaël Bennacer found the net with a strike that left the keeper no chance and reignited hope. Seven minutes later, Yassine Benzia stepped up as the scorer himself, cutting the deficit even further.

The suspense peaked in the 87th minute when a penalty converted by Nabil Bentaleb brought Algeria to within 3‑4. The Swedish nerves were rattled, but time had run out for a comeback. This thrilling finale sealed a dramatic 4-3 victory for the hosts.

Lydiane N'Po |

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Sports journalist specializing in African football, covering football news, exclusive stories and digital content for passionate fans of the game.