England must be on their guard for Algerian game of bluff

Even allowing for his legendary attention to detail and knowledge of the game, the name of Luis Gabelo Conejo is unlikely to prompt anything other than a bemused look from Fabio Capello.

By Mark Ogden/Telegraph/UK

Call your bluff: Algeria looked woeful against Ireland but could it have been an act? Photo: GETTY

After all, Costa Rican goalkeepers are probably not Capello’s strong suit, but a scouting trip involving Conejo prior to Scotland’s unsuccessful Italia 90 campaign ought to serve as a timely warning to the England manager and his coaches as they prepare to dissect the underwhelming performance of World Cup opponents Algeria during their 3-0 defeat against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Friday.

Three weeks before Andy Roxburgh’s Scots were due to begin their World Cup campaign against Costa Rica in Genoa, the central American minnows suffered a 1-0 defeat against Wales in their final warm-up fixture.

Word reached the Scotland camp that Costa Rica possessed a goalkeeper who could best be described as ‘vampirical’ when it came to crosses, so unconvincing was Conejo’s performance at Ninian Park.

Yet when Scotland tackled the Costa Ricans at the World Cup, Conejo caught everything, devouring every Scottish delivery from the flanks, in a match-winning display that provided the foundation for his eventual selection, by France Football, as the goalkeeper of the tournament.

Costa Rica inflicted a humiliating 1-0 defeat on the Scots, who had been hoodwinked by Conejo’s erratic display in Wales.

It was the ultimate bluff and, with Algeria so poor against Ireland, Capello will be mindful to wonder whether Rabah Saadane’s team were really as bad as they appeared at the Royal Dublin Showground, or merely attempting a con trick similar to that played by Costa Rica 20 years ago.

Franco Baldini, Capello’s right-hand man, sat among the horn-blowing Algerian supporters at the RDS, but his notebook will be full of observations about the North Africans’ frailties.

The Wolves defender Adlene Guedioura proved himself to be a glaring weak-point at right-back, abandoning his post so often that Damien Duff virtually had Ireland’s left-flank to himself.

Baldini will also have noted the propensity of the Benfica centre-half Rafik Halliche to dive in at every opportunity with bruising and, often reckless, challenges.

The goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi, while appearing a solid shot-stopper, punched and waved at a series of crosses, with one misdirected punch contributing directly to the first of Robbie Keane’s two goals.

Algeria are likely to be bolstered by the return of the Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra, who missed the Ireland game with a calf injury, by the time they face England in Cape Town on June 18, however, and the former Charlton centre-half will add much-needed experience at the back. Yet despite their obvious weaknesses and an apparent inability to deal with crosses that led to the first two goals, Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has warned Capello not to underestimate the Desert Foxes.

Trapattoni said: “Algeria are a strong team and they have good technique, but in a World Cup, every nation is like this.

“When you look at their team, though, Algeria have many players who play in France, in Italy and in England. This is a sign of the quality of their players.

“Playing in the big leagues in Europe makes players more experienced and Algeria will benefit from this. England are a very strong team, though, and Capello is a very good manager. His players have the potential to go to the semi-finals.” Trapattoni’s words of caution would appear misplaced on the evidence of Algeria’s performance in Dublin, but players such as Wolfsburg midfielder Karim Ziani, centre-half Habib Ballaid and the winger Mehdi Lacen all suggested an ability to compete against England.

Rafik Djebbour, the AEK Athens forward, insists that England should not read too much into Algeria’s insipid performance at the RDS.

“We had a lot of players missing for this game, so we are not worried by the result.” Djebbour said. “We are still very confident about the World Cup and we know we can play much better.

“Perhaps we showed a lack of discipline in defence against Ireland, but we have the players who can do well in South Africa.” Defender Djamel Mesbah, likely to be deployed at left-back against England, believes the Portsmouth winger Nadir Belhadj, will be key against Capello’s team.

Mesbah said: “Against Ireland, we did not get the ball to Belhadj often enough, but we will work on that because he is a dangerous player for us.

“We know the 3-0 defeat was not a fair reflection of the game against Ireland. We will be better in the World Cup, don’t worry about that.”

Coach Saadane, a hero in Algeria for securing World Cup qualification for the first time since 1986, is not quite so convinced about his team’s prospects, however. “We have to improve in many areas before the World Cup,” Saadane admits. “England will be a tougher team than the one we faced in Dublin. They are one of my favourites to reach the final.”