Algeria: The Ghost Role That Disrupted the Greens in Burundi

Algeria drew 2-2 with Burundi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, showing a midfield imbalance due to the absence of a true holding midfielder. The lack of an effective ball-winner allowed Burundi to easily penetrate the Algerian defense, revealing defensive and offensive weaknesses. Since Adlène Guedioura's retirement, Algeria has struggled to find a player providing strength and balance in front of the back line, despite absences of Bentaleb and Boudaoui.