Petkovic: My Players Want to Stay in the World Cup as Long as Possible

Algeria's national football team coach, Vladimir Petkovic, believes his players' fate in the upcoming match against Jordan rests solely in their hands. They are acutely aware of the risk of early elimination from the World Cup group stage should they suffer a defeat.

However, the same pressure applies to their opponents, Jordan, who lost their opening game to Austria 1-3. The "Desert Foxes," meanwhile, fell 0-3 to reigning world champions Argentina. The second round of matches in Group J will determine which teams retain their chances of advancing to the knockout stages.

"One thing is certain – we want to control our own destiny and perform admirably," Petkovic stated.

Algeria's last World Cup appearance was in 2014, where they reached the Round of 16, a feat they aim to replicate this time around. According to Vladimir Petkovic, his squad didn't play a bad game against Argentina, and the match against Jordan will offer them a chance to shine that wasn't available against the reigning champions.

"We played well and were punished by some individual brilliance from Lionel Messi. We all understand that this was a match we didn't necessarily need to win at all costs. They have a tremendous desire to get out there, play well, and want to stay in the United States for as long as possible," the Bosnian coach added.

Argentina could secure their top spot in the group with a victory against Austria tonight. This would mean the other two teams must avoid defeat to prevent elimination before the final group matches.

"This will be a match that gives us a lot of momentum to try and get out of a group with very tough opponents. Jordan is a good team overall, very compact in defense, and physically strong, but we also have our own capabilities and qualities," Vladimir Petkovic explained.

The match between Algeria and Jordan is scheduled for 6:00 AM Bulgarian time tomorrow and will be played in Santa Clara, California.