Since winning the trophy at home in 1990 with their inspirational captain Rabah Madjer, Algeria have gone off the boil.
The civil war which began that year is much to blame.
Although the Desert Warriors have missed only Tunisia '94 since then, they have not been able to stamp their authority on the competition as they did in the past.
The popular Madjer is back as coach for a second spell, but it is unlikely Algeria will find their fearsome form of old.
The stars Algeria could once rely on, like Moussa Saib, have aged and lost their edge.
On the positive side, Rachid Djebaili is turning into a very good striker and the squad is full of experienced players from Caf cup winners, JS Kabylie.
They should be good to watch, but are likely to be outplayed by the better teams.
