French World Cup legend Zinedine Zidane was inspired as a child by the performances of his namesake, Djamel Zidane, a forward who starred for Algeria in the 1982 World Cup. Zinedine Zidane is the son of an Algerian immigrant and cites Djamel Zidane as an inspiration during his formative years.

Algeria coach Rabah Saadane guided the Desert Fozxes to the 2010 World Cup having been in charge the last time they reached the finals, back in 1986. It's currently his fifth stint in charge of Algeria.

Algeria's elimination at the 1982 World Cup – when West Germany and Austria played out a clearly arranged 1-0 German victory to ensure both teams progressed at the Algerian's expense – led to all final group games subsequently kicking off at the same time.