Algeria may be one of the favourites to win the 2024 African Nations Championship but their coach, Madjid Bougherra, believes they have no pressure ahead of their opening game against co-hosts Uganda.
The two nations face off in a Group C encounter at the iconic Mandela National Stadium on Monday, with either side seeking a perfect start.
Well aware that Uganda is one of the co-hosts of this tournament alongside Kenya and Tanzania, Bougherra insists it’s Uganda under immense pressure to deliver in front of their fans.
“We expect a tough game. We know Uganda will do anything to make their fans proud. It’s a good game to start with — when you win it, it puts you there as a competitor in the championship,” he said.
“We’ve played before huge crowds and we are looking forward to the match against Uganda. It won’t be an easy game, but we are ready.
“We need to take it game by game. It’s a different competition as teams change, so everyone starts as a favourite. We want to go as far as possible. The pressure is on Uganda as they are home, not us.”
Uganda Cranes will be hoping to break the long-standing jinx of failing to go beyond the Group phase and thus a good start is important.
On the other hand, Algeria, which reached the final in the last edition on home soil in 2023, will be hoping to go a notch higher and claim the ultimate prize.
Besides Algeria and Uganda, Group C also has Niger and Guinea who also face off on Monday in the early kickoff at Namboole, while South Africa is out of action until Friday.