Algeria national football team head coach Rabah Saadane has blamed the recent away draw to Rwanda in the World Cup qualifiers to the absence of his influential midfielder Karim Ziani. Saadane said that Ziani was the missing element that led to his team’s goalless draw in Kigali. Despite announcing that he was unperturbed by Ziani’s absence before his team’s match-up versus Rwanda, Saadane told Le Buteur magazine that the Desert Foxes did miss the Olympique de Marseille midfielder’s leadership in the encounter. “We missed a player like Ziani,” explained Saadane. “He’s the one who usually calms the team and builds our attacks in his way. He’s the stabilising element that we did not have in this match. We would’ve surely shown a different face if we had him but we were obliged to play without him unfortunately. Our players have to learn to take responsibility when such players are missing.” Ziani underwent adductor surgery two weeks ago but the player has made it clear that he will do everything he can to be present when Algeria plays Egypt in Blida on June 7. Saadane hopes that his captain will be ready for the heavyweight clash, which promises to be a fiery encounter, especially when Egypt’s surprising 1-1 home tie against Zambia is taken into consideration. The Fennec’s coach has made it clear that his team now have to win all their home matches in order to keep their dreams of qualifying to the 2010 World Cup alive. Ends
