Goalkeeper Zidane fast becoming Algeria favourite

Dec ‌30 : Algeria will be looking to make it a perfect Africa Cup of Nations group phase when they face Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, particularly if they keep another clean sheet as goalkeeper Luca Zidane shines in Morocco.

The two-time African champions started their campaign with a 3-0 win over Sudan followed by a 1-0 victory against Burkina ‌Faso to secure top spot in Group E ‌in which Zidane made crucial saves to keep Vladimir Petkovic's side in the game.

Algeria kept one clean sheet in their previous six games at AFCON, where they were eliminated in the group stage in 2021 and 2023 respectively after being crowned African champions in the 2019 edition in Egypt.

However, since ‍Luca Zidane, son of French World Cup-winning great Zinedine, switched international allegiance in September after playing for France as a junior, Algeria have kept two clean sheets in three games with him in all competitions.

The 27-year-old Granada goalkeeper has adapted ​quickly since becoming first choice, ‌Petkovic remarked.

"Zidane contributed significantly to both victories. He began to integrate and gain experience in a short period of time," the coach ​said on Tuesday.

Despite only being with the team since October, Zidane has not been ⁠shy about instructing his new ‌teammates, defender Rayan Ait-Nouri said.

"Luca is a fantastic person. He integrated quickly ​into the group, he's very talkative on the pitch, and he gives us great support. He's a player and a person ‍who fits the team perfectly," Ait-Nouri added.

Another clean sheet should not be too ⁠difficult against an Equatorial Guinea side who have been eliminated from the tournament having ​scored once in two games.

(Reporting ‌by Mohamed Yossry, additional reporting by Ahmad El