Algeria's first official clash with fellow World Cup participants Netherlands ended with a stunning 1-0 victory in Rotterdam though Borussia Dortmund star Ramy Bensebaini was a mere spectator on the night after head coach Vladimir Petkovic refused to bring him off the bench.
The experienced defender, who is coming off the back of a solid campaign with the Black and Yellows, was named in the 26-man squad for the Desert Foxes who will compete at this month's showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
But owing to a worrysome ankle injury that Bensebaini sustained at the end of April which forced him to miss BVB's last three Bundesliga games of 2025-26 season and even miss out on Algeria's preliminary squad, Petkovic was perhaps cautious against throwing him at the deep end right upon recovery.
Algeria fielded a strong XI consisting of many of their first-team stars such as Riyad Mahrez and Nabil Bentaleb, while Luca Zidane also made headlines for his sixth appearance with the Desert Foxes, who put up a resolute display on the night much to Netherlands' detriment.
The Oranje squad made a host of changes after the break but continued to struggle against a well-organized and disciplined defensive set-up of Algeria, who broke the deadlock in the 86th minute through Anis Hadj Moussa.
Playing at his club stadium, the Feyenoord forward cut in from the right and slammed a fearsome shot into the back of the net for his first international goal with Algeria that sent the traveling fans into a frenzy.
It's a shame that our boy Bensebaini was forced to witness all the action from the bench. But given his injury struggles lately, it's understandable that Algeria approached his case with a lot of care. The defender is vital to the north African side's fortunes as they mark their World Cup return following a 12-year absence.
Bensebaini, at 31 years of age and 87 caps to his name, is among the most experienced figures within the Algerian setup and remains instrumental in their defensive lineup as the star brings immense authority, positional awareness and leadership.
His towering stature allows him to pose an aerial threat from set-pieces too, having netted seven goals for Dortmund in all competitions last season while also being the most prolific defender in the Bundesliga with five.
Algeria next face Bolivia in their final warmup match before the World Cup as Bensebaini could return to action as Petkovic fine-tunes his talented side before their highly anticipated opener against world champions Argentina on 16 June.
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