Algeria coach Petkovic defends goalkeeper Zidane after Argentina defeat

Petkovic's response

Petkovic was more forthcoming when asked to characterise his trust in the goalkeeper, who is the son of former France international Zinedine Zidane. "Ich bin sehr überzeugt von seinen Fähigkeiten," he said, according to a dpa report. He added: "Jeder hat das Recht, Fehler zu machen," underlining that he considered the mistakes in the Argentina match to be part of the sport. Petkovic also pushed back against speculation fuelled by online chatter, stating: "Ich habe keine Social-Media-Accounts," distancing himself from the wave of reaction on digital platforms.

The defensive display against Argentina was overshadowed by Messi, who scored all three goals. The result left Algeria needing a positive result against Jordan to keep their group-stage ambitions alive, and reports from the Algerian camp suggested uncertainty beyond the goalkeeper position as well. There were rumours circulating ahead of the Jordan match that striker Mohamed Amoura, who plays for VfL Wolfsburg, could be unavailable due to a possible fitness issue. Petkovic did not address the Amoura reports directly in the comments captured by dpa.

What is at stake against Jordan

Tuesday's match between Algeria and Jordan is scheduled for 05:00 CEST and will be broadcast live, according to the report. With both sides still without a point, the fixture carries an early knockout dimension, particularly for Algeria after their opening-day margin of defeat. Petkovic's public backing of Zidane suggests continuity is the preferred short-term response, but the coach's repeated references to waiting until after the final training session leave the door open to a late change. The team's situation also places extra focus on Petkovic himself, whose side now faces a near-must-win scenario to keep progression realistic.

The tone of Petkovic's remarks reflected a coach attempting to absorb outside pressure while preserving internal authority. By praising Zidane's abilities and granting him room for human error, Petkovic aligned himself publicly with the player while reserving the right to act privately after training. The simultaneous denial of social-media use served as a reminder that the coach was engaging with the criticism on his own terms rather than the news cycle's.