Algeria refused to be eliminated early from the 2026 World Cup. Just when it seemed Jordan had the game under control, the African team rallied in the second half to turn the score around and secure a 2-1 victory on Matchday 2 of Group G—a result that keeps their hopes of advancing to the next round alive.
The Jordanian team struck first, and they did so at a key moment in the match.
In the 36th minute, Nizar Al Rashdan appeared inside the box to finish off an assist from Mousa Al Tamari and put his team ahead. Jordan went into halftime with the lead and the hope of securing a hugely valuable result.
However, the second half completely changed the course of the match. The substitutions of Nadhir Benbouali and Nabil Bentaleb put new life into Algeria, which began to dominate play and create constant danger in front of the opponent’s goal.
The reward came in the 69th minute. Following a corner kick taken by Riyad Mahrez, Benbouali connected with a powerful header to tie the game at 1-1 and restore hope for the African side.
Energized by the equalizer, Algeria did not let up and continued to press forward. The comeback was complete in the 82nd minute, when Amine Gouiri capitalized on a series of rebounds following another corner kick to slot the ball into the net and seal the final 2-1 victory.
Jordan tried to respond in the final minutes, but the Algerian defense withstood the pressure and secured a victory that changes the landscape of Group G. With its first three points of the tournament, Algeria is back in the fight for qualification, while Jordan let an important opportunity slip away after taking the lead in the first half.
