The Algeria-Germany match in the round of 16 had been billed as the Desert Foxes’ chance to finally get even with the Germans for their participation in the infamous events from 32 years ago, when they and the Austrians conspired to fix the score of a game in order to let Germany advance over Algeria despite Algeria’s 2-1 win.
While this match didn’t quite follow that script, not only did the Algerians give the Germans all they could handle on the pitch, they also found a way to make them look like chumps off of it.
Algeria may not have won their game against Germany, but they sure won over the hearts of a lot of fans with their gutsy performance in the 2-1 extra time loss to one of the tournament favourites. Now, they’ve gone even farther, announcing that the entire team will donate their World Cup bonus money to help people in Gaza. All £5.25 million ($9 million USD) of it. Islam Slimani, known as Super Slim, a forward who plays for Sporting Lisbon, was quoted as saying, “They need it more than us.”
Small wonder they came home to a hero’s welcome. The team, who made it past group play for the first time in the country’s history, was paraded through the streets of Algiers in an open-topped bus as crowds partied and danced in the streets.
No word on what the Germans will do with their prize money. They’ll probably just spend it on pretzels and raves on government jets.
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