Doha, Qatar – The Algerian national team (A’) has been eliminated from the Arab Cup following a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to the United Arab Emirates in the quarter-final. The match, held earlier today, ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with the UAE ultimately prevailing from the spot.
The first half was a tightly contested affair, with Algeria seeing two goals disallowed for offside. Victor Lekhal received a yellow card in the 9th minute. Despite the disallowed goals, the first half ended goalless, with the Jordanian referee adding just one minute of stoppage time.
The second half saw an immediate breakthrough for Algeria, with Boulbina scoring in the 46th minute to give his side the lead. However, the UAE responded in the 63rd minute, leveling the score and setting up a tense final period. In the 73rd minute, Algeria made their first substitution, with Braoui replacing Ben Debka. The referee added three minutes of stoppage time, but neither side could find a winner, forcing the game into extra time.
Neither side could break the deadlock during the additional 30 minutes, leading to a penalty shootout. Brahimi successfully converted Algeria’s first penalty, but Ben Ziye missed the second. Goalkeeper Chaal then saved the UAE’s third penalty, giving Algeria hope. However, Khasif missed Algeria’s subsequent penalty, ultimately sealing the team’s fate.
The defeat marks the end of Algeria’s Arab Cup campaign at the quarter-final stage. The team will now turn its attention to future competitions. DZWatch will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of the Algerian national team’s progress.
