A meeting with members of Algeria’s national football team, the Desert Foxes left new national team coach, Georges Leekens impressed.
Leekens and members of his backroom staff held a meeting with the players shortly before their first ever training session together and the veteran Belgian trainer on Monday evening. Naijabet.com
According to the official website of the Algeria Football Federation (Faf), www.faf.dz the meeting was also attended by the president, Mohamed Raouraoua.
Right after the meeting, the players were put through their paces in Leekens first ever training session with the Foxes.
The team trained twice on Monday and Tuesday at the National Technical Centre, Sidi Moussa (Algiers).
Meanwhile, Leekens has called up replacements for three of his injured stars, Rachid Ghezzal, Ryad Boudebouz and Arabi Soudani.
The trio have now been replaced by late call ups, Baghdad Bounedjah, Yassine Benzia and Ismaël Bennacer.
Leekens is preparing for his first game in charge of the Foxes against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo on Saturday.
The Belgian coach replaced Milovan Rajevac, who was sacked following Algeria 1-1 draw with Cameroon in October.
Leekens was appointed just 16 days to Saturday’s clash with the Super Eagles but Algerian midfielder, Nabil Bentaleb says the sudden nature of the appointment will not harm the Foxes’ chances of claiming a positive result in Uyo.
There is no doubt that the coach is brimming with confidence because he ended his conversation with “I must say that we are a bit under pressure because we need a good result against Nigeria. But I’m optimistic because Algeria always give good output in difficult times and I know we are, even depleted, the best in Africa. Come Saturday we will prove it
Algeria will leave for Nigeria on Thursday with a chartered flight to Uyo directly
“(Is the appointment of Leekens so soon to the game against Nigeria) risky? No.
“It remains the choice of the president of the federation. Now, if the old coach did not have the means to drive the country far in this competition, then this is definitely a good decision,” Bentaleb Le Buteur.
