SANTA CLARA: After being on the wrong end of a Lionel Messi hat-trick in their World Cup opener against Argentina, Algeria had to wait nearly a week to showcase their talents with an impressive come from behind 2-1 win against Jordan.

Nadhir Benbouali’s header cancelled out Nizar Al-Rashdan’s first-half opener and Amine Gouiri poked home in a goalmouth scramble eight minutes from time to revive Algeria’s campaign.

Coach Vladimir Petkovic’s side had been outclassed 3-0 by the defending champions but showed resilience and determination to beat and eliminate Jordan, who were riding a wave of euphoria from their first-ever World Cup appearance.

In the all-Arab clash at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Algeria, who used 14 players from clubs across seven European countries, combined precise passing with deft touches and adventurous runs in a relentless push to get their World Cup back on track.

“We had the mental strength to come back, and I think we’re continuing to improve. This victory, earned with character and determination, will do us the world of good,” Gouiri said.

“It could be a turning point. A win is always good, especially for confidence given the way the match unfolded. We’re very happy, but we know nothing is done yet. We’ve taken an important step.”

Algeria face Austria in their final Group ‘J’ game on Saturday.

Many of Jordanians fans gathered in central Amman to watch their team’s match against Algeria early on Tuesday but a stampede broke out in which one person died and eight others were injured, Jordan News Agency reported citing the country’s Public Security Directorate (PSD).

The incident occurred at Hashemite Square, where large numbers of fans had gathered in the capital, according to the Jordan News Agency.

Emergency teams transported nine injured people to hospital after heavy congestion and crowd movement at the venue led to the crush. One of those injured later died, while the others sustained minor to moderate injuries, it reported citing the PSD.

Experts were investigating to determine the exact cause of death, it added.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2026