Algeria midfielder Abderrahmane Meziane has praised his team-mates and fans claiming their contribution helped the side to reach the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The host nation became the first team to advance after edging Ethiopia 1-0 on Tuesday in their second Group A match at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers.
The Desert Foxes have progressed thanks to the ingenuity of Meziane who was unstoppable on the left flank, resulting in him winning the TotalEnergies Man of the Match award.
"I owe my teammates this award. We knew we could exploit the spaces that the Ethiopians leave on the sides. My teammates followed the coach's instructions and they made me shine and I thank them," Meziane said.
"Overall we had a good performance. We dominated the game but we still struggled for lack of efficiency. We should have scored more goals.
Meanwhile, an impressive 34,987 fans came to watch this match against Ethiopia. Meziane admitted that their support was very important.
"The supporters make our job easier. It is very nice to play in front of a full stadium. On our side, we are more and more comfortable in this kind of situation with their timely support."
Algeria will face Mozambique in their last Group A tie on January 21 at the same venue.