In an exciting all-Arab affair, Jordan and Algeria meet in the San Francisco Bay Area in their quest to reach the World Cup knockout stages.
Group J
Tuesday, 23 June | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Kick-off time
11:00 (GMT+8)
The match
Drawn in the same group as defending champions Argentina, the two Arab nations face off in a spicy encounter at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium as they look to secure their place in the Round of 32. Jordan, who are taking part in their first World Cup, will be looking for their first ever points at the global showpiece after falling 3-1 to Austria in their opening match. Meanwhile, Algeria, who are in the global finals for the first time since Brazil 2014, will need to secure points to keep their dreams of reaching the knockout stage alive.
Jordan possible starting XI
Abulaila; Abualnadi, Nasib, Al-Arab; Haddad, Abu Taha, Al-Rashdan, Al-Rawabdeh; Al-Fakhouri, Olwan; Al-Tamari
Algeria possible starting XI
Zidane; Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini, Ait-Nouri; Bentaleb, Aouar, Maza; Mahrez, Gouiri; Amoura
What they said…
“The first match was a crucial one for us because it wrote us into the history books. After that, it was our lack of experience that decided the outcome. The result doesn’t reflect what we’ve shown so far. The initial nerves are behind us now. The players are more at ease and more confident in their potential and abilities. Tomorrow’s match could be a tough one; completely different from the Austria game. Jamal Sellami, Jordan coach
“[The Algeria players] have experience in the major European leagues. The result [against Argentina] does not reflect the strength of the Algerian national team. God willing, we’ll be ready for tomorrow’s match and will face the Algerian attack with full concentration and following the manager’s instructions.” Yazan Al-Arab, Jordan defender
“It will be a very important match, a crucial one that could give us a big boost towards progressing to the next round, against a tough opponent. An opponent who is very consistent and very compact in their play, with a lot of physicality. But we have our own qualities. We’ve studied the opposition and we’re trying to find ways to win the match. The players have recovered physically. From what I’ve seen recently, they’ve recovered mentally too, with a great desire to compete, a great desire to do well and to stay in the United States for as long as possible.” Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria coach
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Located in the city of Santa Clara, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium is one of the newer venues that will be featured at the global showpiece and will host six World Cup matches, including five group fixtures and one knockout game. Home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers since its opening in 2014, the stadium hosted Super Bowl 60 in February, where Bad Bunny headlined the half-time show with support from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. The venue staged the first match of the Copa America Centenario in June 2016 as Colombia defeated USA, and has also hosted WrestleMania and the 2015 NHL clash between the LA Kings and San Jose Sharks.