Former Nigeria international Eddy Dombraye during an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa believes Algeria paid the price for giving Argentina and Lionel Messi too much respect in their defeat, while insisting the match was far more competitive than the final scoreline suggested.
Argentina secured victory thanks to a Lionel Messi hat-trick, but Dombraye questioned both Algeria’s approach and the officiating of a key incident involving the Argentine captain.
Speaking after the match, the former Nigerian international suggested Algeria’s goalkeeper, Luca Zidane, could have done better with Argentina’s opening goal.
“I think the goalkeeper could have saved the first goal—it just passed right through him. Maybe he wasn’t expecting it, but I think he could have stopped it,” Dombraye told Footy-Africa.
Five most valuable African nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
“That goal might have been down to the intimidation or the fear of facing Messi, which caused that lapse. Still, I wouldn’t count the Nigerians out just yet. The African teams I really look up to in this tournament, though, are Morocco and Senegal.”
Dombraye believes the presence of Messi had a psychological impact on the Algerian side and contributed to their struggles during key moments of the contest.
“No, you’re not wrong at all; you are exactly right. That is my opinion as well. They gave Argentina too much respect, especially with the presence of Messi. They just gave them too much respect.”
The former international was equally critical of the referee’s decision not to send Messi off following a challenge that sparked debate during the game.
FULL TIME | نهاية المباراة#LesVerts ⭐️⭐️ | #123VivaLAlgérie 🇩🇿 | #WorldCup2026 | #FIFAWORLDCUP pic.twitter.com/jKTkzLmkVW
— Équipe d’Algérie de football (@LesVerts) June 17, 2026
Dombraye argued that the incident warranted a red card and believes the outcome of the match could have been very different had the officials acted.
“I think if the referee had given him a red card, it would have completely changed the course and complexion of the game. To me, it was a clear red card, and I think that’s obvious to everybody. I don’t know why it wasn’t given. He didn’t intentionally mean to do it, but it happened. It was a red card offense, and it would have totally changed the dynamic of the match.”
Messi remained on the pitch and went on to score all three of Argentina’s goals, a development Danbraye feels underlines the significance of the decision.
Salah and four other Africans to fight for Golden Ball at the 2026 World Cup
Elsewhere, Dombraye also assessed Senegal’s chances following their 3-1 defeat to France, a match in which Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Bradley Barcola added the third goal.
Despite the setback, he remains confident that the Lions of Teranga can still progress from the group stage.
“I think Senegal will go through. They will win their next two matches—at least, I hope so. Morocco is also doing equally well, you know.”
Despite the defeat, the former Nigerian international refused to be overly critical of Algeria’s overall display, insisting that small errors rather than a lack of effort proved costly.
“I am a coach myself, but I can’t dwell on that because they have their own coach and they train together. However, I don’t want to use the words ‘lost concentration’ because the first half was keenly contested. There were just one or two mistakes and errors, which are bound to happen, but the scoreline didn’t really reflect how the game went.”
Danbraye believes African teams have largely performed well at the tournament and highlighted Morocco’s strong displays alongside Senegal’s continued prospects.
“There have been lots of surprises, which makes the work even more interesting for me. As for the African nations, I would say we are doing well. Apart from Senegal’s loss so far, I think they still have a chance to go through,” he concluded.
