In the week the remake of the timeless classic ‘The Lion King’ was released, there was a reminder on Sunday night of what the sagely Mufasa called “the circle of life”.
The concept of a hierarchical food chain is manifest in nature, and all living things have, and know, their place. So it proves in football also: having preyed upon South Africa in the quarter-final of the Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria were in turn set upon by Algeria in the same way. Not just a defeat, but one which showed just how wide the chasm is between the sides.
Algeria have been the most impressive side in the competition – in their application, in the clarity of their identity and gameplan, in their cohesion. These three things are rarely found in one place in international football, and yet Djamel Belmadi’s side have found a way to mine them inside the 12 months he has been in charge.
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