Mahrez magic sparks Algeria comeback to sink brave Jordan and revive their World Cup

Algeria came from a goal down to beat Jordan 2-1 in Santa Clara, Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri striking after the break to revive their World Cup. Riyad Mahrez pulled the strings as the Desert Foxes bounced back from their opening loss to Argentina, while Jordan are eliminated.

Algeria are back in the hunt. The Desert Foxes came from a goal down to beat Jordan 2-1 in Santa Clara, Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri striking after the break to revive a World Cup that had been slipping away. After the chastening they took from Argentina, this was the response their talent demanded, and Riyad Mahrez was at the heart of it.

It did not start to plan. For all Algeria's early control, Jordan struck first. On thirty-six minutes Nizar Al-Rashdan found space and finished sharply, and Jamal Sellami's side carried a lead into the break despite seeing barely a quarter of the ball.

Algeria came out for the second half like a team that knew the tournament was on the line. They pinned Jordan back, worked corner after corner, and let Mahrez pull the strings from the right. The pressure was relentless, and in the end it told.

The leveller arrived on sixty-nine minutes, and it came off the bench. Benbouali rose to meet a Mahrez corner and headed Algeria level, the kind of impact a manager dreams of when he reaches for a substitute.

Thirteen minutes later the comeback was complete. Another corner caused chaos in the Jordan box, and Gouiri pounced from point-blank range to turn the game around. The flag went up and the VAR took its time, but the replay confirmed he was on, and the Algerian bench spilled onto the touchline.

The numbers screamed Algeria. They had seventeen shots to Jordan's eight, ten corners to one, and three-quarters of the ball. On another night the margin would have been wider. Jordan defended for their lives, and for an hour it nearly held.

The win breathes life into Algeria's campaign. They sit on three points after bouncing back from their opening loss to Argentina, with a place in the last 32 still to play for against Austria. For Jordan it is the end of the road, out after a second straight defeat that followed their opening loss to Austria. Argentina, already through, are confirmed as the winners of Group J.

Back home, this was a night to enjoy. Africa got behind the Desert Foxes, and Kenyan fans needed little encouragement to cheer a Mahrez masterclass, the same Mahrez they watched light up the Premier League for years. Wakenya wengi walikuwa nyuma ya Algeria, na Mahrez akawalipa: plenty of Kenyans were behind Algeria, and Mahrez paid them back. After Senegal's heartbreak, the continent needed a comeback like this. Our Africa round-one verdict had the giants stuttering, and on this evidence Algeria found their feet just in time.