Otamendi suspended but started: why Algeria's complaint doesn't hold up

Algeria lost 3-0 to Argentina in their opening match of the World Cup, with Lionel Messi scoring a decisive hat-trick. The Fennecs’ performance was widely criticized, particularly two errors by goalkeeper Luca Zidane on the first two goals of the evening.

Beyond the scoreline, Nicolas Otamendi’s entry in the 80th minute replacing Cristian Romero fueled controversy among some Algerian supporters. The River Plate defender had been sent off in Argentina’s final qualifying match against Ecuador in September, and FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee had confirmed his one-match suspension by statement. Some Fennecs fans therefore demanded a walkover victory, arguing that the Albiceleste had fielded an ineligible player.

This complaint, however, runs into a rule change adopted by FIFA in early May, before the tournament kicked off. The international body decided that minor sanctions incurred during the qualifying phase would not carry over to the competition itself. Otamendi was therefore perfectly authorized to take the pitch. He is not an isolated case either: Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo, also sent off on the final day of qualifying, benefited from the same provision.

Messi’s stamp on Aïssa Mandi, another source of irritation cited by some supporters, also did not result in a disciplinary sanction capable of changing the result. Algeria’s defeat, however heavy, therefore stands entirely on both sporting and regulatory grounds.