Algeria’s Late Comeback Sends Jordan Out Early
Benbouali and Gouiri scored twice from corners in the second half as Algeria overturned a deficit to eliminate debutants Jordan.
Mahrez Delivers Where It Matters Most
Algeria refused to accept defeat, producing a stunning second-half comeback to beat World Cup debutants Jordan 2-1 and keep their knockout dreams alive in Group J. Trailing at the break after Nizar Al-Rashdan’s opener, the Desert Foxes rallied brilliantly with goals from Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri, both converted from corners, to seal three vital points in San Francisco. Jordan’s fairytale debut came to a painful and premature end.
Algeria’s revival was built from set pieces, with veteran Riyad Mahrez pulling the strings. Benbouali powered home Mahrez’s corner in the 69th minute to level the contest. Thirteen minutes later, Gouiri pounced from another Mahrez corner to complete the comeback. The goal survived a tense VAR offside review before Algeria’s celebrations erupted — a reminder of Mahrez’s enduring quality on the biggest stages.
Debutants Exit With Heads Held High After Two Defeats
Jordan’s historic maiden World Cup campaign comes to a difficult conclusion after back-to-back defeats. They had given themselves a genuine chance with Al-Rashdan’s first-half opener, looking calm and organized through the break. But costly defensive lapses at set pieces and a lack of experience at this level proved their undoing. The Falcons exit as heroes for qualifying in the first place — but Group J shows no mercy for newcomers facing established African sides.
Algeria face a winner-takes-all showdown against Austria, with both sides locked on three points in Group J. Victory would put the Desert Foxes in the Round of 32 for only the second time in their history — and with Mahrez orchestrating and belief surging, they have every reason to fancy their chances.
