Vancouver, Canada – Vladimir Petkovic, the coach of the Algerian national team, confirmed that facing Switzerland in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup will be one of the most difficult matches for the “Desert Warriors,” stressing the need for his players to give their all in order to secure qualification for the round of 16.
The Algerian national team will meet its Swiss counterpart early Friday morning, as part of the knockout stages of the World Cup being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
During the pre-match press conference, Petkovic spoke about facing the team he had coached for seven years, stressing that each side’s knowledge of the other would not be the deciding factor in the match.
The Bosnian coach, who also holds Swiss citizenship, said: “Football today is out in the open, there are no secrets between national teams. I know Switzerland well, and the players there know me, but all that stops at the starting whistle”.
He added: “I am delighted to meet many of the faces I have worked with before, but emotions will remain off the field, as my full focus is on leading Algeria to victory”.
Petkovic described the Swiss team as one of the strongest European teams, explaining: “We expect a very difficult match, and if we want to advance to the next round, we have to perform at our best, even 120% of our potential”.
He continued: “It’s not about Petkovic facing Switzerland, it’s about the Algerian national team facing the Swiss national team. I know this story is getting media attention, but what’s most important to me is what the players will deliver on the field”.
The Algerian coach pointed out that both teams have great ambitions in the tournament, adding: “Switzerland announced that its goal is to reach the quarter-finals, while we have taken an important step by qualifying for the World Cup and then getting past the group stage, and we now seek to continue this journey”.
At the end of the conference, when asked about his opinion on water breaks during matches, he simply said: “I have no comment on this matter”.
