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Algeria go into the tournament with two veterans from the
side that brought them the trophy exactly a decade ago.
Veteran playmaker Moussa Saib, and fellow midfielder
Mahieddine Meftah both figured in the 22-member squad
announced by coach Nasser Sandjak, who was himself appointed
just a month previously. After a sparkling World Cup debut in
1982, when they defeated the then West Germany, and a repeat
appearance in the 1986 World Cup finals, the Desert Foxes
hosted the African Nations Cup in 1990 and won the title with
home advantage. Since then, their performances have gone
steadily downhill against the background of a bloody civil war
which has complicated any attempt to prepare teams properly
for the various competitions. Drawn in Group B in Ghana's
second city Kumasi with 1998 runners-up South Africa, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon, their chances may
well hinge on the form of their opponents.
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