390 minutes of unbeaten play in the Africa Cup of Nations, a record for the Algerian national team. Clean sheet in 4 matches, the team flies to the quarterfinals with the son of art as the protagonist
Algeria’s campaign in the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations has found a decisive protagonist between the posts: Luca Zidane. The Granada goalkeeper, in his first major international competition with the Algerian shirtestablished a new statistical record which certifies the defensive solidity of the North African selection in this tournament.
Zidane’s statistical record
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With the victory obtained in the last round, which guaranteed Algeria’s passage to the quarter-finals, Luca Zidane kept a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive match. The official data speaks of 390 minutes without conceding a goal since the start of the competition. A performance that allowed him to overcome a record that had stood for thirty years: that of Mohamed Haniched, who in the 1996 edition in South Africa managed to keep the goal undefeated in the first matches of the group, but not with the continuity shown byformer Real Madrid goalkeeper.
Zidane thus becomes the first goalkeeper in the history of Algerian national team not to concede a goal in his first four official matches in the Africa Cup of Nations. A result that takes on greater importance considering the pressure of debuting in such a complex continental tournament.
Petkovic’s technical management
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The choice to entrust ownership to Luca Zidane represents a gamble won by technical commissioner Vladimir Petkovic. Until a few weeks before the start of the tournament, the hierarchy seemed to favor Anthony Mandrea (of Caen), who had defended the posts during most of the qualifiers. However, the change of nationality Zidane’s sports team – approved by FIFA in recent months, given that the player had played for France’s youth team – offered Petkovic a high-level alternative.
Zidane convinced the coaching staff thanks to the constant performance shown in the club, the Granadaand a tactical maturity that allows him to lead the back department with confidence. His ability to I play with my feeta legacy of the Spanish school, also proved useful in the setup phase, but it was between the sticks that it made the difference with decisive interventions.
A look at the grandstand and the future
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Following the goalkeeper’s exploits from the stands of the Moroccan stadiums is also his father, Zinedine Zidanea fixed but discreet presence during his son’s matches. Far from media speculation, the presence of the Ballon d’Or underlines the importance of career moment of Luca, who at the age of 27 finds his definitive international consecration far from his father’s shadow.
Now for theAlgeria the most delicate phase of the tournament begins. With a defense that has so far proven impervious, the team is vying to be one of the favorites for the final victory. The maintenance of this record will be put to the test in the quarter-finals, where the level of the opponents will rise further, but Luca Zidane’s numbers today represent the best guarantee for Algerian ambitions.
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