Algeria’s first appearance at the CAN de futsal has ended without a medal after they were beaten 8-1 by Egypt in the third-place play-off.
Noureddine Benamrouche’s side suffered a heavy loss at the Complexe Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, missing out on a place on the podium.
The Fennecs were denied an early lead when Walid Riache’s effort struck the post. Egypt then took control in the 14th minute, scoring from distance after a short corner routine.
They doubled their advantage only seconds later. A quick counter-attack began with a long throw from the Egyptian goalkeeper, and Ibrahim Sayed took advantage of confusion between Samyr Teffaf and Mathieu Hammad to put Egypt 2-0 ahead.
Algeria’s high defensive line was exposed again in the 16th minute, with Egypt cutting through it with a sequence of two or three passes to score a third before half-time.
With his team needing a response, Teffaf moved forward to support the attack after the break, leaving the Algerian goal unprotected. The gamble proved costly as Egypt added four more goals in the 25th, 31st, 33rd and 34th minutes.
Already beaten, Algeria conceded again before Rayane Ait Hamadouche scored in the 40th minute to give the Fennecs a consolation goal. The final stages unfolded in front of disappointed Algeria substitutes as Egypt completed an emphatic victory.
The result leaves Algeria fourth in the tournament. Despite the severity of the defeat, their campaign remains a notable achievement because it was their first participation in the history of the CAN de futsal.
Algeria began the competition with a 4-0 defeat by hosts Morocco before drawing 2-2 with Libya. They then secured a historic qualification victory over Zambia, winning 4-7, to reach the semi-finals.
Their run ended against Angola, who beat them 3-2 and prevented them from reaching the final. Egypt’s victory in the play-off means Algeria finish just outside the medals after an encouraging debut.