Algeria honored Arab football after holding England to a goalless draw in Friday's World Cup clash, coach Rabah Saadane said. The Arab's sole representatives at the South Africa finals produced a brave and battling display to frustrate England, who could not find a way through a steadfast defense. "Our performance was an honorable one for all Arabs. We achieved our target against England," an ecstatic-looking Saadane told Al-Jazeera Sport after the game. Algeria adopted a defensive strategy that proved successful, with England unable to create any goalscoring opportunities throughout the game. Italian coach Fabio Capello tried to beef up England's attack in the second half by introducing Shaun-Wright Philips, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch. However, Algeria held firm to keep alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup round of 16. "I was aware that England would struggle if they faced an organized side," Saadane added. "Our collective play and short-passing game made life difficult for them, that's what we wanted." Algeria, who have one point from two games after suffering a 1-0 defeat by Slovenia in their first match, still face an uphill to climb if they are to cause an upset and go through. They should beat the United States in their last match to stand any chance of qualifying for the knockout phase. "We will play against the United States to win," Saadane, who was also in charge of Algeria during their previous World Cup appearance in 1986, concluded.
