Flames are tough at home—Algeria coach

Algeria’s coach Christian Gourcuff has said the Flames are a tough opponent when playing at home and it takes something special to overcome them.

Gourcuff said this during a press briefing he addressed in Algiers just before the Fennec Foxes departure on Thursday.

He told journalists that this afternoon’s showdown will not be a stroll in the park, saying in the recent past, the only competitive games Malawi has lost at home are against Burkina Faso [ 1-0 in 2009] at Kamuzu Stadium and Ghana [2-0 in 2011].

“I watched Malawi against Benin in Cotonou and their match against Mali on TV. They are a technical and tactical team. They also give away little when playing at home and have a good midfield, especially their captain Kawundu [Joseph Kamwendo],” Gourcuff was quoted as saying by El Moudjahid, a national daily newspaper.

He also admitted that playing the Flames on artificial turf will be difficult.

“We are going to play on artificial turf which makes things even more difficult.

“But we are going to Malawi to beat them even if the conditions are hard. We are going to Malawi with a winning spirit without neglecting the match conditions,” said Gourcuff.

However, the coach did not touch on the two teams last meeting in 2010 in which the Flames came out 3-0 triumphant at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Gourcuff said his team will not change its playing philosophy and style.

“We are going to play our game and do everything necessary to get the full points.

“We are going to face a team that will not allow us to have a simple task in front of their home crowd because they know that if they lose, then their chances of qualifying will be lessened,” he said.

The Fennec Foxes arrived just before midnight on Thursday and are camping at Hotel Victoria. They loosened up yesterday morning at Surestream Stadium before getting the feel of the match venue later in the afternoon.