Algeria jeered after losing 1-0 in Qatar

Doha: Algeria lost their first game since their disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign, going down tamely 1-0 to Qatar in a friendly in Doha on Thursday.

A superb 32nd minute goal from Ali Assadalla proved the difference between the two sides.

The midfielder picked up the ball 35 yards from goal, before embarking on a jinking run, beating several Algerian plyers before calmly finishing in the game`s stand out individual moment.

Qatar, themselves returning to action following an awful Asian Cup tournament where they lost all their three games, just about deserved victory for their spirited first half performance.

They threatened the Algerian goal several times in the first half with Ismail Mohammed hitting the post in the 27th minute and Abdulrahman Abakar going close from a corner just three minutes later.

In the second half Algeria, who included Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb in their side, dominated but rarely looked like finding an equaliser.

The closest they came was a volley from second half substitute Ishak Belfodil in the 50th minute, which forced a fine save from goalkeeper Amine Claude Lecomte.

The result proved another disappointment for French coach Christian Gourcuff`s stuttering side who were dumped out of the Africa Cup at the quarter-final stage.

This latest reversal was greeted by jeers from the many Algerians supporters in the 2,700 crowd at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in the Qatari capital.