A road to redemption for Algeria

Monday 25th January 2010

The road to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals is one of redemption for Algeria following their recent return to form, reports FIFA. While a first appearance in the World Cup finals since 1986 and a semi-final finish in the recent Africa Cup of Nations - Algeria's best placing in the contest since their 1990 victory - may seem positive, team captain Yazid Mansouri is keen to achieve more. "The Nations Cup has afforded us a chance to know where we have to improve," he tells FIFA. However, the fourth-place finish - the lowest possible at the semi-finals stage - is still hurting a little for the ambitious Algerian. "We will move ahead and learn from the mistakes we made," he adds. The areas singled out for improvement in the Algerian squad are the goal-scorers and their support in both attack and midfield. With Algeria drawn in Group C alongside Slovenia, the USA and, of course, England, a bet on the side to complete their redemption by progressing beyond the group stage in South Africa might seem like a worthy punt. Odds of around 4/1 are available - making Algeria the group outsiders for qualification