2019-03-01 World Soccer

W

ith action from a qualifier

between Kuwait and

New Zealand on the cover,

World Soccer began its

countdown to the forthcoming World Cup.

The issue profiled finalists Algeria,

Belgium, Czechoslovakia, El Salvador,

Peru, Russia and Yugoslavia, and also

took a look at some of the coaches who

would be heading to Spain that summer.

Although in charge

of Algeria at the time,

Yevgeni Rogov was far

from certain of being one

of those leading a team

at the finals – as John

Goodbody suggested

in his review of the

North African side.

Goodbody said of

Rogov: “A man with

shining eyes and a lively

character he considers

the principal weakness^

of Algerian players [to be]

a lack of dedication.” And

he quoted the Russian

coach as saying of his

team: “They are gifted technically but

they do not like any hard training. My

colleagues and I have had to teach the

players its importance.”

Accepting that Soviet discipline and

physical excellence were now taking

precedence over skill and initiative, the

Algerian newspaper El Moudjahid had

commented: “There was a time when

we had skill for skill’s sake and we were,

each time, eliminated from every official

competition. Today, the reverse is

occurring and there is no place for

attractive delicacies.”

But while Goodbody acknowledged

“the realism of international football had

reached even Algeria”, he also revealed

“rumours are growing ever more strong

that Rogov will not lead the team in

Spain”, suggesting “Rachid Mekloufi,

the one-time Saint-Etienne forward, will

return for a second spell as manager”.

Goodbody was correct, with Mekloufi

and Mahieddine Khalef being appointed

co-coaches before the finals.

In Spain that summer it was Algeria

who provided the biggest shock of the

tournament, beating West Germany 2-1

in their opening group game, with the

winner being scored by 1981 African

Player of the Year, Lakhdar Belloumi.

Goodbody had said of the midfielder:

“A master of the unexpected pass, he is

an inspired goalscorer as well.”

Unfortunately for Belloumi and his

team-mates, despite beating the

Germans and winning 3-2 against Chile,

and although they finished joint-top of

their group, Algeria failed to qualify for

the knockout stage on goal difference

due to a 2-0 loss to Austria.

March 1982

Algeria consider changing their

coach before the World Cup

“They are gifted technically but they do not like

any hard training. My colleagues and I have had

to teach the players its importance”

Russian coach Yevgeni Rogov on Algeria

Shock...Algeria

celebrate beating

West Germany

Hero...Lakhdar

Belloumi

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