(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
#Arab Cup 2021 By Ayeni Olusegun | The Peninsula
Doha: Algeria striker Baghdad Bounedjah has announced he's 100 percent ready for the Desert Foxes quarter-finals clash of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 against local rivals Morocco in“Clash of the Maghreb” on Saturday at the Al Thumama Stadium.
The Al Sadd striker appeared to suffer a concussion in Algeria's last Group D match against Egypt after a heavy fall from a collision with Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in the first half. The striker was replaced and didn't emerge from the changing room for the second half as Egypt managed to seal the top spot due to a better fair play record after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
“I am fine, and in football, you get injured,” Bounedjah said in a video posted on Facebook by the Algerian Football Federation.
“We assure all the fans that my health is fine after I had x-rays and tests. I am 100 percent ready, and we are preparing for the next match.”
Bounedjah's condition would be closely monitored by Al Sadd, which unveiled former Watford coach Javi Gracia as its new coach yesterday.
Bounedjah has been prolific in a trophy-laden spell for The Wolves with 160 goals in 155 appearances for Al Sadd.
“The collision between the goalkeeper and me was spontaneous and not intentional, and this is normal in football. Today (yesterday) was a rest day for me, and tomorrow I will be ready to work out,” Bounedjah added.
The 30-year-old star, who scored the winner for Algeria in the 2019 African Cup of Nations final, stressed he is in excellent condition.
“The injury that I sustained was strong, and currently, I am in a very good condition. In the coming days, I will regain my full strength and be ready for the Morocco match.”
With two goals and an assist in the competition, Algeria clearly struggled in Bounedjah's absence. In the second half, Egypt dominated their North African neighbours, with Algeria rarely threatening as Yacine Brahimi and Mohammed Belaili fizzled out of the game.
“As for the last match with Egypt, it was tough. We played a great first half, and at least we could score two goals, and the fans in the stadium were wonderfully encouraging us. In the first half, I also put pressure on the defenders and did not make them comfortable, so hopefully, I'll be ready for Morocco,” he added.
On the other hand, Algeria coach Madjid Bougherra noted his displeasure with Argentine referee Facundo Teo's performance in the group decider against Egypt.
The referee awarded four yellow cards and a late red card to Algeria, with Egypt receiving just three cautions. With the teams tied in goals and points, the fair play decider was not greeted with joy by the Algerians, unlike their opponents.
“This type of game is like that, and this is a high level. But you know it isn't easy when you play three times in a short period. You can see Egypt also the fitness went down in the second half.
“I am very upset with the referee giving us too much yellow card and a red. I have seen the VAR review, and that's not a red card. We lost by fair play, but in general, I am proud of the players. We were tactically disciplined, and in the end, we finished with a draw,” Bougherra said.
Looking ahead to the Moroccan clash, the French-born former defender said,“When you play a competition like this, you want to play these games. This is football, so we need to recover very well, and again it will be a big derby.”
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