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The 2019 African Cup of Nations is only a few hours away, with 32 African nations set to battle it out for the biennial tournament. Among these nations stand Algeria, who will be keen to make a huge statement following their elimination in the first round during the recent edition of the competition that was held in Gabon in 2017.
The 'Desert Warriors' will face Kenya for their opening fixture which is scheduled for the 23rd of this month. After that, they will face the other two opponents in their group — Senegal and Tanzania — and hope to get decent results in order to secure a place in the next round.
Knowing quite well that the opening game against Kenya will be very important to their chances, Algeria will approach the match with a very strong determination. A lot of preparations have already been done, hence, let's quickly take a look at the necessary details heading into the game:
Team News
With a fully fit squad at his disposal, head coach Djamel Belmadi will field his strongest XI to face Kenya in the vital encounter. The tactician will be hoping his top stars such as Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani and Sofiane Feghouli will be able to provide answers when they take to the pitch on Sunday.
Meanwhile, FC Porto's attacking midfielder Yacine Brahimi has come out to claim that his side is aiming to win the competition this year. Given, the quality in the team, a lot will definitely be expected from them when they kick-off their campaign in Egypt.
Injuries: None
Suspensions: None
Predicted Lineup
With a fully fit squad available, Belmadi will field-in his strongest lineup to face Kenya on Sunday. Rais M’Bolhi will likely get the nod to feature in between the sticks while the likes of Aissa Mandi, Mehdi Tahrat, Mehdi Zeffane and Mohamed Fares should make up the backline.
Mehdi Abeid, Ismail Bennacer and Sofiane Feghouli should operate from the center of the pitch, providing adequate support and linkup to the likes of Yacine Brahimi, Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrez, who will feature in attack.
Key Player
Riyad Mahrez
All eyes will be on Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez to run the show when Algeria meet Kenya for their AFCON 2019 opener this Sunday. The former Leicester City superstar enjoyed another scintillating campaign at the Etihad, claiming the Premier League title with Pep Guardiola's men.
Mahrez bagged 12 goals and 12 assists for the Citizens across all competitions during the campaign and a lot will also be expected from him when he takes to the pitch to represent his nation in the African tournament.
