Petkovic: Our goal is to pass the group stage in El Cannes – New Algeria

Vladimir Petkovic, coach of the Algerian national football team, explained that his goal in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals is to advance to the group stage.

The final session of the African Cup of Nations, “CAN 2025”, will be held in Morocco, from December 21 to next January 18. The Algerian national team will compete, during the first round, in the fifth group, along with the teams of Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso and Sudan.

The Swiss coach told “The Greens”, during a press conference, held today, Saturday, in the press hall of the “Nelson Mandela” stadium in Baraki, Algiers: “The first goal is to win every match we play.”

He added, explaining: “Actually, our first goal is to pass the group stage. I prefer that we play match by match and we will see what happens.”

He continued: “For example, in the match against Sudan, on paper we are favorites to win, but we have to prove it on the field.”

Petkovic reveals his list

In another context, Petkovic justified the position of the reserve team stars, Ashraf Abada and Victor Lakhal.

Abada and Lakhal, despite their brilliance in the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar, did not gain the trust of the “Greens” technical staff, unlike their colleagues Radwan Barkan and Adel Boulbena, who snatched a place on the final list concerned with the African Cup of Nations, along with Youssef Atal and Mohamed El Amin Togay.

Petkovic said in this matter: “Barkan and Boulbina deserved the opportunity. They are young players, and they will gain a lot of experience by being with us.”

He added: “With regard to others (meaning Ibadah and Kohl), things must proceed step by step. They will be forced to prove themselves in the future.”

Petkovic admitted that Lakhal and Abada were not even on his expanded list, saying: “I do not have a magic wand to know the future. We presented the Confederation of African Football with a preliminary list, and after that there are things that cannot be predicted.” He added: “As I said before, the players in the Arab Cup were under my watch in all the matches, and whoever deserved the opportunity got it.”

And revealed Vladimir Petkovic, today, Saturday, about Official list For “28 players, concerned with participating in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals,” which carried some surprises.

What is noted on the national team’s list for “Cannes 2025” is the call-up of reserve team strikers, Adel Boulbena (Al-Duhail/Qatar) and Redouane Berkane (Al-Wakrah/Qatar). On the other hand, we record the return of goalkeeper Anthony Mandria (Stade de Cannes/France) in the absence of Mouloudia Algiers goalkeeper Alexis Guendouz due to injury. The list was also devoid of midfielder Nabil Bentaleb (Lille, France).

The “Greens” camp starts on Monday

Issa Mandi and his teammates are expected to arrive next Monday at the National Technical Center in Sidi Moussa to start the camp, before traveling to the tournament host country next Friday on a special flight.

The “Greens” will begin their campaign on Wednesday, December 24, by facing Sudan (16:00), then they will face Burkina Faso on Sunday, December 28 (18:30), and Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, December 31 (17:00).

The first and second placed teams from each group, in addition to the four best third-placed teams, qualify for the quarter-finals.

It is worth noting that the Algerian national team, after winning the 2019 tournament title in Egypt, was eliminated in the first round of the 2021 tournament finals in Cameroon and 2023 tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.

Below is the list of 28 players:

– Goalkeepers: Luca Zidane (Granada/Spain), Oussama Ben Bout (US Algeria), Anthony Mandria (Cannes Stadium/France).

-Defenders: Youssef Atal (Al-Sadd/Qatar), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund/Germany), Rayan Ait Nouri (Manchester City/England), Samir Cherki (Paris FC/France), Rafik Belghali (Hellas Verona/Italy), Issa Mandi (Lille/France), Jaune Hajjam (Young Boys/Switzerland), Mehdi Dorval (Bari/Italy), Zinedine Belaid (JS Kabylie), Mohamed Amine Tougay. (Esperance/Tunisia).

Midfielders: Ismail Bennacer (Dinamo Zagreb/Croatia), Ramez Zerrogui (Twente/Netherlands), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice/France), Adam Zarqan (Union Saint-Geloise/Belgium), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany), Fares Chaaibi (Eintracht Frankfurt/Germany), Houssem Aouar (Al-Ittihad Jeddah/Saudi Arabia).

Forwards: Mohamed Amin Amoura (Wolfsburg/Germany), Ilan Kabal (Paris FC/France), Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahly/Saudi Arabia), Anis Haj Moussa (Feyenoord/Netherlands), Adel Boulbena (Al-Duhail/Qatar), Baghdad Bounedjah (North FC/Qatar), Moncef Bakrar (Dinamo Zagreb/Croatia) and Radwan Barkan (Al-Wakrah/Qatar).