Despite playing with only ten men for most of the second half, the 2019 Africa Cup of Champions Algeria proved a tough team to beat for the Mexican National team. The match ended in a draw at Kyocera Stadium with some amazing goals from both sides, as this seemed far from a friendly matchup on the pitch. Both squads played like they were fighting a place for the World Cup, which shows the dedication and passion for representing their country no matter the opponent.

The First 45

El Tri started things off on the right foot as they had clear dominance of possession in the Algerian half of the pitch. Still, things quickly took a turn as Algeria took advantage of loose ball possession in the midfield and catching the defense off guard on several occasions throughout the first half of the match.

With a total of four shots and one on target for the African team and three shots and one on target for Mexico, this was far from a one-sided matchup. Both teams kept each other on their toes until a defensive error on opened up space for Jesus “Tecatito” Corona and set up a give-and-go with Raul Jimenez; then Tecatito would control the ball just like Leonel Messi and chipped it in at the 43rd minute, opening the score to give the Mexicans the lead.

The celebration did not last as it only took a little over a minute for Ismael Bennacer to tie things up with a cannon blast, which evened the score one apiece. The ref blew the whistle with no extra time added, and both teams headed to the locker rooms with a lot to look forward to in the second half.

The Second Half

The second half kicked off, and just like the first half of the match, both teams would not leave each other’s box as the pressure kept coming. As shots kept accumulating, so did the yellow cards for some strong fouls throughout the match. That caused a double yellow and a red card for Algeria’s Adlène Guedioura, leaving the African team with ten men for the rest of the match. That did not stop them from creating chances, and the opportunity surfaced, and Riyad Mahrez took the lead at the 67th minute.

Things seemed to get complicated for El Tri as they tried to tie things up. Still, as always, they did not give up and looked for every opportunity possible. With a beautiful chip from Raul Jimenez over the Algerian defenders, the ball landed perfectly for Diego Lainez, and he put into the back of the net to tie the game in the 86th minute.

Things concluded in a draw and for Mexico it was a valuable lesson playing against the very physical and high-pressuring style the African Champions brought today. Tata’s men will now look ahead and prepare for their next opponents as they will face South Korea in an upcoming friendly in Austria on November 14th.