On Sunday, Algeria pulled a precious 1-0 win over Morocco, reviving their hopes of qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations
lgeria were in a must-win position, relegated to the bottom of Group D with a solitary point. Thanks to a seventh-minute goal by Hassan Yebda from a penalty, the North African hosts now share the driving seat in the group table with Tanzania, Morocco and the Central African Republic — each with four points.
El-Khabar newspaper titled the match report saying, �Algeria�s hopes to qualify are revived,� praising the important role of the supporters who filled the 19 May Stadium in Annaba.
�The Desert Foxes made Algerians smile again,� El-Bilad newspaper commented.
Despite celebrating the win, Ennahar newspaper criticised the various mistakes of the Algerian players, stressing the offences poor performance.
�The players� performances were not satisfying. There were a lot of mistakes that need a great deal of work from coach Abdelhak Benchikha,� the paper explained.
Escaping political conflicts, thousands of Algerians flood to the streets celebrating their first win since 2010 African Cup of Nations 3-2 win over Ivory Coast.
Algeria manager Abdelhak Benchikha appreciated his players� responsibility and discipline.
�This win is gained because of my players� determination,� the manager told reporters after the match.
�Missing key players like Karim Ziani and Antar Yahia due to injuries was confusing.
�I�d like to thank all my players and all the supporters who have been fantastic; our qualification chances are revived now,� he added.
Alternatively, Moroccan newspaper Al-Mountakhab declared, �Atlas Lions fall at the Stadium of Annaba�, attacking the match�s referee for being unfair.
Morocco�s Belgian coach Eric Gerets confessed that Algerians deserved to win.
�I�d like to congratulate them as they played as real fighters. We did our best, but we were not lucky enough to even end the game with a draw,� Gerets said in the press conference after the game.
The penalty was illegal according to Gerets, but he refused to comment about the referee�s performance.
�I will not talk about the referee to avoid being punished. But still, we have all the chances to qualify,� he concluded.
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Algeria vs Morocco Live
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