The web might be full of nothing but speculation regarding the England World Cup squad at the
moment, but we know that you're only interested in the real issues of the day.
As such, you'll be pleased to find out that the results are in from Group B of the WAG World Cup
and voting in Group C is now open.
Can host nation Angola emerge from a tricky group?
The tournament preview is up, you've seen the African Cup of Nations 2010 match schedule, now let's
crack onto the group previews. Here is our team-by-team guide to the competition, which kicks off
in Angola this weekend.
Group A
Algeria - Angola - Malawi - Mali
Algeria
Algeria is a country that has been sat until recently in the shadows of international wilderness.
That's just not fair!
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Algeria will target England's Robert Green with long-range shots after USA howler
Algeria have admitted they will target England goalkeeper Robert Green with long range shots if, as
is likely, Fabio Capello sticks with the West Ham shot stopper for Friday's Group C
clash.
Algerian coach Rabah Saadane stated that his side will most likely stick to the same lineup that
battled England to a 0 0 draw. Full of confidence, the Desert Foxes fell as if they can seize their
opportunity and qualify for the second round.
"We have two options," he told reporters.
Madjid Bougherra goes up against Rangers team mate Maurice Edu
The Desert Foxes form a 3-3-3-1 axis.
Three defenders at the back: Antar Yahia, Madjed Bougherra, Rafi Halliche,
Two wingbacks in Nader Belhadj and Riad Boudebouz flank Medhi Lacen to run up and down this
axis.
Let's get one thing out of the way early:
Egypt.
Phew that's over. (It's media law that in mentioning the Algerian football team of this World
Cup, Egypt must follow shortly thereafter.)
The Desert Foxes but for Cameroon's Indomitable Lions, probably the coolest nickname at the
World Cup if only because it sounds like a scantily clad female pop group are thrilled to be
here.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Samir Handanovic may not have ended April with a shutout performance, but the Slovenian
goalkeeper capped off one of the stronger months of the season for Udinese by helping the club to
a 4-1 win against Siena.
Handanovic started his 35th game of the season and made three saves in the relatively easy
victory, which improved Udinese to 3-0-1 in April.
By FRANCO PANIZO
Slovenian defender Matej Mavric did this weekend what no U.S. national team fan wants to hear
come summer time. He scored on an American goalkeeper.
Mavric scored a penalty kick in TUS Koblenz's 2-2 draw against Kaiserslautern, beating Luis
Robles with a chip shot down the middle that was somewhat reminiscent to that of Zinedine Zidane's
in the 2006 World Cup final.
Algeria's coach Rabah Saadane announced his preliminary roster of 25 players
for the World Cup. The USA is one of their Group C rivals along with England and Slovenia. The
Fennecs will get to test their World Cup squad in friendlies against Ireland and the UAE before
departing for South Africa.
By FRANCO PANIZO
U.S. national team forward Eddie Johnson is currently the top goal-scorer in the Greek play-offs
with three goals, but hot on his trail is Algerian forward Rafik Djebbour.
Djebbour scored the opener in AEK Athens' play-off against Johnson's Aris Salonika, marking the
second consecutive match in which he found the back of the net.
Algeria Preliminary Squad
Coach: Rabah Saâdane
No. Pos. Player DoB/Age Caps Club GK Lounès Gaouaoui 28 September 1977 (aged 32) 49 ASO Chlef GK
Faouzi Chaouchi 5 December 1984 (aged 25) 8 ES Sétif GK Mohamed Zemmamouche 25 April 1986 (aged
24) 2 MC Algiers GK Raïs M'Bohli 29 August 1982 (aged 27) 0 Slavia Sofia DF Nadir Belhadj 18 June
1982 (aged 27) 43 Portsmouth DF Antar Yahia 21 March 1982 (aged 28) 43 Bochum DF Madjid Bougherra
29 October 1982 (aged 27) 40 Rangers DF Rafik Halliche 2 September 1986 (aged 23) 15 Nacional DF
Abdelkader Laïfaoui 9 July 1981 (aged 28) 7 ES Sétif DF Mohamed Meftah 5 May 1985 (aged 25) 5 JS
Kabylie DF Hocine Metref 1 January 1984 (aged 26) 4 ES Sétif DF Carl Medjani 15 May 1985 (aged 25)
0 Ajaccio DF Habib Bellaïd 28 March 1986 (aged 24) 0 Boulogne DF Djamel Mesbah 9 October 1984
(aged 25) 0 Lecce MF Yazid Mansouri (c) 25 February 1978 (aged 32) 65 Lorient MF Karim Ziani 17
August 1982 (aged 27) 53 Wolfsburg MF Karim Matmour 25 June 1985 (aged 24) 22 Borussia
Mönchengladbach MF Khaled Lemmouchia 29 May 1981 (aged 29) 13 ES Sétif MF Hassan Yebda 14 April
1984 (aged 26) 9 Portsmouth MF Mourad Meghni 16 April 1984 (aged 26) 9 Lazio MF Lazhar Hadj Aissa
23 March 1984 (aged 26) 6 ES Sétif MF Djamel Abdoun 14 February 1986 (aged 24) 5 Nantes MF Mehdi
Lacen 5 March 1984 (aged 26) 1 Racing Santander MF Adlène Guedioura 12 November 1985 (aged 24) 0
Wolverhampton Wanderers MF Ryad Boudebouz 19 February 1990 (aged 20) 0 Sochaux MF Foued Kadir 5
December 1983 (aged 26) 0 Valenciennes FW Rafik Saïfi 7 February 1975 (aged 35) 60 Istres FW
Abdelkader Ghezzal 5 December 1984 (aged 25) 17 Siena FW Rafik Djebbour 8 March 1984 (aged 26) 14
AEK Athens FW Chadli Amri 14 December 1984 (aged 25) 9 1.
There were a number of glaring defensive breakdowns:
As a group: (77')
77th minute, a slashing Libor Sionko gets past an over committed Heath Pearce and lays a cross
past the goal mouth which Clarence Goodson fails to deal with effectively. The US defenders are
caught ball watching.
Faouzi Chaouchi, the Algerian goalkeeper was woeful.
Check out the first goal where Chaouchi was late coming out to challenge Philip Green who
bravely headed the ball down for Ireland's first goal and got kicked in the act. He had to leave to
the pitch to receive medical attention.
Algerian national team coach Rabah Saadane has named his 23-man final roster the 2010 FIFA World
Cup. Algeria and the USA will meet on June 23 to finish first-round play at Loftus Versfeld Stadium
in Tshwane/ Pretoria. Only three of the 23 players play their club soccer inside Algeria. Seven
players perform for clubs in France, three in England and three in Germany, including Michael
Bradley's Borussia Monchengladbach teammate Karim Matmour.
The headlline could very well read Nadir Belhadj should beware Nadir Belhadj. This most talented
wingback, part of Pompey's FA Cup success is his own worst enemy earning yellows and reds
regularly. But he makes up for it with his surging pace down the left and his quality distribution
into the box.
Clint Dempsey and the USMNT are ready...are you? (Getty Images)
It comes down to one final group to preview. Of course I had to do the US's group last, I
couldn't find it in myself to preview it right away when we started this last week anyways.
This preview will be slightly different as I asked WVH writer Geoff Reid to pipe in his thoughts
on the group as well.
Yazid Mansouri, Algeria's captain and a veteran with 65 caps was removed from his leadership
role by Rabah Saadane.
The FC Lorient defensive midfielder has struggled in training camp.
Antar Yahia has been named as captain. In an interview with Echourouk:
"I am proud to be the team's captain especially in this world event.
Seeing red
The 14 Players That Have So Far Been Sent Off During the 2010 World Cup
1. Nicolás Lodeiro (for Uruguay v France)
2. Abdelkader Ghezzal (for Algeria v Slovenia)
3. Aleksandar Luković (for Serbia v Ghana)
4. Tim Cahill (for Australia v Germany)
5.
