Algeria's coach, Madjid Bougherra, praised the Iraqi team as "good" and "one of the biggest teams in Asia." He believes that the upcoming match between the two teams on Tuesday in the third round of the Arab Cup will be tough and difficult for both sides in the race to qualify for the next round. At a press conference on Monday, he said: "The match will also be a benchmark for the Algerian team to know its capabilities in the Arab Cup," describing all tournament matches as "derbies" and intense. He added: "The Algerian team will play every match as if it were a final." The Algerian coach also pointed out that "the Iraqi team is different in every tournament because it is characterized by being fierce and gives the maximum possible effort."
