A 100% North African final for the Arab Football Cup. Tunisia and Algeria will face off for the title in Qatar on Saturday, December 18, one year before the World Cup final held in this Gulf emirate.
The two teams won in extremis in the semi-finals, Tunisia victorious against Egypt (1-0) and Algeria having pushed the host country towards the exit (2-1).
The Eagles of Carthage and the Fennecs, reigning African champions, will meet in the final on Saturday in the coastal town of Al-Khor, the two selections having, like most teams, been cut off from their international stars.
The Algerians, who have not lost a game during the competition, had to do without Manchester City attacking midfielder Riyad Mahrez, while the Tunisians played without Saint-Etienne striker Wahbi Khazri.
“It’s a brother country, a very experienced team. In all competitions, they are still in the semi-finals and finals, so they have this experience of going far,” Algerian coach Madjid Bougherra said.
“It’s going to be a great derby. I think Algeria is the team that (faced) the biggest teams during the tournament, and inchallah, if we go to the end, it will be very, very deserved”, he added during a press conference after the semi-final against Qatar.
The final of the #FIFArabCup
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– FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 16, 2021
The North African teams dominated the competition, which the coach of the Fennecs praised: “It’s a pleasure that the Maghreb teams are currently the strongest in the Arab world.”
The tournament took place in six of the eight stadiums that will host matches in 2022, with the final taking place on Qatar’s National Day and one year to the day before the World Cup final. Earlier in the day on Saturday, Qatar will face Egypt for third place in the first Arab Cup to be held under the auspices of FIFA.
In Paris, supporters of Algeria, Egypt, Qatar and Tunisia will be banned from entering the Champs-Élysées, the usual gathering place to celebrate sporting events in the capital. The police headquarters announced the establishment of a security perimeter in anticipation of the final.