SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Algeria look forward to their Group C clash with England

Record ID: 455700

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Algeria look forward to their Group C clash with England
  • Date: 18th June 2010
  • Summary: CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2010) (REUTERS) ALGERIAN SQUAD TRAINING AT CAPE TOWN STADIUM VARIOUS OF SQUAD STRETCHING MANAGER RABAH SAADANE, DEFENDER NADIR BELHADJ, AND MIDFIELDER HASSAN YEBDA ENTERING PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) ALGERIA MANAGER, RABAH SAADANE, SAYING: "I don't think we're going to play like the North Korea against Brazil, or perhaps like Switzerland against Spain. We're going to play differently because we're composed of different players. We play according to our own potential in our own system. You can't build a team based on theory, you have to develop the team based on your personnel." VARIOUS OF ALGERIAN GOALKEEPERS ALGERIAN AND PORTSMOUTH MIDFIELDER HASSAN YEBDA (SOUNDBITE) (French) MIDFIELDER, HASSAN YEBDA, SAYING: "When we were in Sudan, we had an obsession to win and that's what enabled us to beat Egypt and qualify for the World Cup. Were we to lose the match, we would have been knocked out - the same goes for tomorrow, so we're more or less in the same situation about this. And I think we should go on to the pitch with the same obsession to win and I trust that will produce a positive result." ALGERIA AND PORTSMOUTH PLAYERS BELHADJ AND YEBDA (SOUNDBITE) (French) MIDFIELDER, HASSAN YEBDA, SAYING: "It's true we watched that film [The Battle of Algiers] last night, a good fifteen of us. It's a very moving moment. I've never actually seen it, a number of us hadn't seen it. It was a very moving thing. It was very moving to see what actually happened. We were all together and I think it was a very moving time to spend together, and this is a thing we need to do to unify the group and make us stronger together." VARIOUS OF ALGERIA SQUAD TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAZHW8U8J8J3XTKMXTSZ3PPRDG
  • Story Text: Algeria united and ready to take on England in their second World Cup on Friday.
    With their clash against England looming on Friday (June 18), under-dogs Algeria have watched the film "Battle of Algiers", a graphic account of Algeria's bloody struggle for independence from French colonial rule.
    "It's true we watched that film [The Battle of Algiers] last night, a good fifteen of us. It's a very moving moment. I've never actually seen it, a number of us hadn't seen it. It was a very moving thing. It was very moving to see what actually happened. We were all together and I think it was a very moving time to spend together, and this is a thing we need to do to unify the group and make us stronger together," 26-year-old midfielder Hassan Yebda told reporters.
    Players gathered to watch the film on Wednesday night.
    Algeria, who lost their Group C opening game 1-0 to Slovenia, felt the same determination to win as they had felt when they beat African champions Egypt in Sudan, a tense match which secured their World Cup qualification, Yebda said.
    "When we were in Sudan, we had an obsession to win and that's what enabled us to beat Egypt and qualify for the World Cup. Were we to lose the match, we would have been knocked out - the same goes for tomorrow, so we're more or less in the same situation about this. And I think we should go on to the pitch with the same obsession to win and I trust that will produce a positive result," Yebda added Asked about Algeria's strategy for playing England and whether the team would simply defend, Algeria coach Rabah Saadane said: "I don't think we're going to play like the North Korea against Brazil, or perhaps like Switzerland against Spain. We're going to play differently because we're composed of different players. We play according to our own potential in our own system. You can't build a team based on theory, you have to develop the team based on your personnel.
    Both sides would be under pressure, Saadane said, adding it would be a fine spectacle.
    Algeria was granted independence from France in 1962. Thousands died in the brutal Algerian war for independence, a conflict that has left deep and still-unhealed scars in both countries.
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