Petkovic Acknowledges Defensive Woes Ahead of Knockout Clash
Algeria head coach Vladimir Petkovic has admitted that his side has conceded too many goals in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and stressed the need to be at their peak when they face Switzerland in the Round of 32 on Thursday in Vancouver, Canada, according to Reuters.
Algeria began their campaign with a 3-0 loss to Argentina but bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Jordan and a 3-3 draw against Austria to secure a spot in the knockout stage. Petkovic praised his team's attacking output and their achievement of becoming only the second Algerian squad to reach this phase of a World Cup. However, he urged continuous improvement and said the team must be at their best for the match against Switzerland, which could extend beyond 90 minutes.
Defensive Statistics Raise Concerns
“We have conceded too many goals – of our seven goals conceded, five of them have come from outside the penalty area. That also comes down to the quality of the opposition players, as we saw in our opening match,” Petkovic said. He added, “The very positive thing is that we've scored five goals. We made it through to the knockout stage. This is only the second group of Algerian players that have made it through to the knockout stage in a World Cup. We need to take that as a positive and we need to keep improving as we have done game after game. And we need to be at the peak of our powers against an excellent Switzerland side, not only for 90 minutes, perhaps even beyond.”
Petkovic Dismisses Inside Knowledge Advantage
The 62-year-old Bosnian-born coach, who previously played and coached in Swiss football and managed the Swiss national team from 2014 to 2021, brushed aside claims that his familiarity with Swiss players would give him an edge. He noted that modern football is highly globalized, leaving no real secrets between teams. “The world of football has become universal, everyone knows each other. There are no real secrets left in the game. I don't think it's a huge advantage to know someone or someone else. Just as I know the players, the players know me. And it's a huge pleasure to come up against them, it will be lovely to meet and greet them. But after that, the players will go out there on the pitch. And I'm certainly expecting a tough game. And in order to win the match, we need to give 120% against a very decent Switzerland side,” he said.
