SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Algerian keeper forgiven for blunder in World Cup match

Record ID: 454433

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Algerian keeper forgiven for blunder in World Cup match
  • Date: 15th June 2010
  • Summary: UVONGA, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 14, 2010) (REUTERS) (NIGHTSHOTS) ALGERIA TEAM PRACTICE AT THE UGU SPORTS CENTRE IN UVONGA GOALKEEPER FAOUZI CHAOUCHI (FAIR HAIR) LAUGHS WITH HIS FELLOW PLAYERS SECURITY AT TEAM PRACTICE FAOUZI CHAOUCHI ALGERIAN TEAM PRACTICE FAOUZI CHAOUCHI WITH TEAM MATES FAOUZI CHAOUCHI PUTS HIS ARMS AROUND HIS FELLOW TEAM MATES WIDE OF MEDIA CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (French) RABAH SAADANE TEAM MANAGER "And it's in matches like that he must be encouraged, even when he makes a significant mistake. So we still have confidence in him (Faouzi Chaouchi)." VARIOUS MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (French) RABAH SAADANE TEAM MANAGER Question: "Would you like to see Robert Green stay in goal?" Answer: "This is a problem for Capello." (Laugh) "It's a super team, as I've said, it's among the favourites. I have rated them among the favourites for this world championship. The team showed this against the United States. It's going to be a very, very difficult match for us, but we have nothing to lose in this match." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (French) CAPTAIN ANTHAR YAHIA SAYING: "I think these kinds of mistakes could happen to any player. From our point of view he was forgiven straight away, even before he apologised. The team is united in victory or in defeat. Chaouchi has won us matches in the past and will win others for us in the future. So there are no concerns there." ALGERIAN TEAM TOGETHER TEAM MEMBERS KICK BALL GOALKEEPER FAOUZI CHAOUCHI SECURITY WATCHING
  • Embargoed: 30th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAA8VWUHFZO84941C9W6F7J9CJH
  • Story Text: Algeria's coach and captain stood firmly behind the team's goalkeeper on Monday (June 14), a day after his blunder gifted Slovenia victory in their opening Group C World Cup match.
    Algeria face England on June 18 in a game both sides need to win to get their World Cup campaigns back on track. England's goalkeeper Robert Green was also guilty of a dreadful mistake that handed the United States an equaliser in their 1-1 draw last Saturday (June 12).
    Algeria's goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi fumbled a shot from Slovenia's captain Robert Koren eleven minutes from time to give Slovenia a 1-0 victory, but head coach Rabah Saadane told a news conference at the Desert Fox's training ground south of Durban on Monday (June 14) that he was still supporting his goalkeeper.
    "It's in matches like that he must be encouraged, even when he makes a significant mistake. So we still have confidence in him," he said.
    He laughed when a British journalist asked him whether Algeria would like to see Green remain in goal for England.
    "I think that's a problem for Capello. It's a super team, as I've said, it's among the favourites," said Saadane, who is coaching Algeria for the fifth time.
    "The team showed this against the United States. It's going to be a very, very difficult match for us, but we have nothing to lose."
    Algeria captain Anthar Yahia was equally supportive of his goalkeeper, saying that these kind of mistakes could happen to any player.
    "From our point of view he was forgiven straight away, even before he apologised," he said. "The team is united in victory or in defeat. Chaouchi has won us matches in the past and will win others for us in the future. So there are no concerns there."
    Midfielder Hassan Yebda, who replaced dropped captain Yazid Mansouri for the Slovenia game, said the players had already put Sunday's defeat behind them.
    "We no longer have anything to lose."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register