Algeria defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in a World Cup warm-up match played at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, the home ground of Dutch club Feyenoord, on June 3 or 4 depending on source time zones [1, 2, 3, 4].
Anis Hadj Moussa, who plays for Feyenoord, scored the only goal with a powerful shot into the far corner four minutes from time. It was Moussa's first international goal for Algeria [1, 2, 3, 4].
Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, protected by a mask due to facial injuries sustained in April, made several key saves to keep the Dutch at bay [1, 2, 3, 4].
The match gave Algeria a morale-boosting victory, following a strong second-half performance that saw them outplay the Netherlands [1, 2, 3, 4]. Algeria currently rank 28th in the FIFA rankings, well below the Netherlands' 7th position [4].
Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk expressed disappointment after the game, saying it was not the ideal farewell match and his side should have been at least 2-0 up. "Hopefully, our sharpness will return quickly and we'll finish our chances properly from now on," he said [3].
The loss spoiled the Netherlands’ send-off before their World Cup campaign. They will next face Uzbekistan in a friendly game in New York on June 9 (Singapore time)/June 1 (local), after which they will move to their base in Kansas City [1, 2, 3, 4].
The Netherlands open their World Cup Group F campaign against Japan in Dallas on June 14 (June 15 Singapore time) [1, 2, 3, 4]. Algeria start World Cup Group J play in Kansas City on June 16 (June 17 Singapore time) against defending champions Argentina [1, 2, 3, 4].
Before that, Algeria will have one final warm-up match against Bolivia in Kansas City on June 10 (June 11 Singapore time) [3, 4].
