Santa Clara, June 23: Algeria scored off two corner kicks in the second half to rally from an early deficit and defeat Jordan 2-1 to bolster its chances of advancing to the knockout round of the World Cup.
Second-half substitute Nadhir Benbouali headed in a corner kick in the 69th minute and Amine Gouiri provided the game-winner in the 82nd to give Algeria its first win at the World Cup since 2014 on Monday night.
The Jordanians had taken the lead for the first time at a World Cup on a first-half goal by Nizar Al Rashdan but couldn’t withstand the continual pressure from Algeria in the second half.
This marked the first time Algeria had ever won a World Cup game after conceding the first goal. They had seven losses and two draws previously when that happened.
Algeria bounced back after a 3-0 to Argentina in its opening game and can finish second in Group J — and clinch a spot in the knockout round — with a win on Saturday against Austria.
Jordan is out of contention for the knockout rounds with a second straight loss. It opened with a 3-1 defeat to Austria but put up a strong effort in its first appearance on soccer’s biggest stage.
Momentum clearly swung after Benbouali equalized when Riyad Mahrez’s corner kick found him in the middle of the box and he sent a header into the corner that Yazeed Abulaila couldn’t stop.
Algeria kept up the attack and took the lead when Gouiri got a touch on a ball in the box that deflected off Abulaila and into the net, setting off an Algerian celebration with their fans just behind the goal at Levi’s Stadium. (AP)
