Algeria beat Jordan 2-1, eyes knockout stage

Algeria fought back Tuesday to eliminate debutants Jordan from the World Cup and keep their own knockout hopes alive in San Francisco with a 2-1 win in Group J pairing.

Jordan was organized in defense against an Algeria side who dominated possession – and the underdogs took a first-half lead when Nizar Al Rashdan curled home.

But Algeria piled on the pressure after the break and Nadhir Benbouali headed home an equalizer from Riyad Mahrez’s 69th minute corner. Amine Gouiri then netted an 82nd minute winner for Algeria to deny Jordan their first World Cup point

Al Rashdan flashed a header wide of the near post inside 60 seconds, but Algeria then took charge and Gouiri dragged a low shot wide while Fares Chaibi had a low shot blocked from Ibrahim Maza’s cut-back.

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Mahrez, making his first World Cup start since 2014, nearly broke the deadlock after being released by a long ball over the top, but he was denied by Yazeed Abulaila.

And it was Jordan who took a 36th minute lead through Al Rashdan’s tidy finish with the outside of his right foot, after Algeria’s Ramiz Zerrouki had given the ball away cheaply.

After the break, Abulaila parried a fierce 25-yard shot from Maza and saved a header from Benbouali, while Jordan’s Noor Al Rawabdeh curled inches wide from the edge of the box at the other end.

But Algeria finally equalized when Benbouali glanced a downward header into the corner – and then Gouiri clinched the win when he hooked home a bouncing ball after another in-swinging corner broke to him.

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