At what point, a supporter of Algeria is entitled to ask, does familiarity become a flaw. As a speculative shot from distance ricocheted awkwardly in the Algerian penalty area on Monday night, a loose ball in search of a quick-witted, alert defender to clear it or an attacking player to pounce, minds went back to a previous night of heartbreak for Les Fennecs, the Desert Foxes.
The scenario, late in the first half of Algeria’s last group game at the Africa Cup of Nations against Mauritania, was enough of a copy of the portentous moment that swung the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off to spread a shudder of dread.
The original version took place in the 124th minute of the second, home leg of the play-off against Cameroon. Algeria were 2-1 ahead on aggregate, all but ready to book their tickets to Qatar.
The ball then floated into their box. It dropped to nobody in particular, but the player with the sharpest focus was not an Algerian but Karl Toko Ekambi, there first and most alert, to spear in the shot that sent Cameroon to the World Cup finals instead.
Monday’s enterprising match-winner would be Mauritania’s captain, Yali Dellahi, a figure now with a permanent place in the sporting history of a nation who have always been at the back of the Maghrebi queue for glory. He was first to a loose ball in Bouake, Ivory Coast, turning a long-range drive that had ricocheted off Algeria’s Mohamed Amine Tougai past goalkeeper Anthony Mandrea.
Unlike against Cameroon in 2022, there was still over an hour to go in Bouake, still plenty of time for Algeria, the 2019 African champions, to hoist themselves up from the foot of Group D, to record their first victory of the tournament, or at least eke out a third draw in as many games and
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Karl Toko Ekambi