AFCON win raised Algeria’s morale – Bensebaini

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Sep 25, 2020. 08:56

Ramy Bensebaini says Algeria’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph raised the morale of the country and allowed ordinary people to forget their daily troubles – at least for a while.

Bensebaini, who plays his club football with Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany, was a key figure in the Fennec Foxes’ title run in Egypt last year, featuring in all but one of their matches.

The 25-year-old defender told Goal: “Almost everyone there [Algeria] loves football. Our victory has therefore made the whole country incredibly proud.

“It has allowed people to forget for a while about their various problems in everyday life or in the whole country. These were unforgettable moments for us – especially when we were welcomed by hundreds of thousands of people on the streets.”

Bensebaini, who started out his career at Paradou AC, says he hopes to help create better structures for Algerian youngsters to progress in the sport.

“With a personal view of myself, my CV and my profession, it would be great if there were significantly more academies in the country that train young footballers,” he explained.

“You really have to imagine that there are so many young people in the districts of the cities who are crazy about football and who play football undiscovered every day.

“Many of them are really technically proficient, but there is a lack of structures and institutions to which they can turn and which promote these talents.

“This would be a great achievement because, in the long run, the domestic league and the national team could benefit from it.

“But also the players themselves, because it could give them a better future – perhaps even as professionals in one of the European leagues.”