Algeria vs Jordan: Moroccan Coach Exploits Fennecs Weakness

Jamal Sellami does not want to fall into overconfidence. Before facing Algeria, the Moroccan coach of Jordan first wanted to remind everyone of his opponent’s quality. "We will face a robust, strong and solid Algerian team," he declared, while insisting on his players’ motivation: "We have a lot of determination, we want to write Jordan’s history. We want to score goals, we want to win."

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The Moroccan tactician assures that he has studied closely the match lost by Algeria against Argentina. He refuses to see it as proof of total weakness, reminding that the Fennecs faced the reigning world champion. But the figures do give some indications. Against Argentina, Algeria circulated the ball a lot, with over 600 passes in total, but without real offensive danger: only 7 shots, none on target and an xG limited to 0.321. A statistic that can encourage Jordan to believe in its chances.

Conversely, Jordan showed against Austria that it could exist offensively despite the defeat. The Nashama attempted 11 shots, 4 on target, with 3 corners and an xG of 0.462. Ali Olwan, goalscorer and best Jordanian player according to Opta with a rating of 8.36, confirmed that the team had arguments. Mousa Al Tamari, even without scoring, remains one of the dangers to watch.

Sellami therefore wants to approach this meeting without inferiority complex. "Mental and psychological factors are very important," he insisted, believing that the defeat against Austria did not reflect the true value of his team either. The Moroccan coach also identified a key moment: "The start of the match will be decisive for us." A way of saying that Jordan wants to avoid suffering too early and seeks to sow doubt in the Algerian camp.

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Respect remains present, particularly when he mentions Riyad Mahrez. "Mahrez is an icon, just like Hakimi in Morocco or Salah in Egypt," Sellami acknowledged. But the message is clear: Jordan does not just want to resist. It wants to play, score and try to win. Facing an Algeria that struggled to hit the target against Argentina, the Moroccan coach clearly believes there is an opening.