In 1982, Algeria shocked the world in their debut at World Cup. Their first opponent was then-European Champions West Germany; somehow, the African minnows managed to come away with a 2-1 victory. One salient image from the triumph is of Jupp Derwall, the bewildered German manager, sitting in that punishing Spanish heat in Gijon, murmuring, "I just don't understand."
Such was the ability of that Algerian team in the 1980s that it could surprise Karl Heinz Rummenigge's German machine, but an injustice still haunts Algerian football to this day.
After the incredible win, the inexperienced coaching staff failed to temper the subsequent euphoria. As a result, the Algerians were not prepared for a forewarned Austrian outfit that cruised to a 2-0 victory. In the final match of the group stage, Salah Assad led his teammates to a 3-2 victory over a tricky Chilean side.
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With two wins in the bag, Algeria were set to become the first African nation to progress beyond the first round. Only a 1-0 or 2-0 win for West Germany over Austria could deprive the North Africans of a historic achievement and send both the European teams through.
What followed was to be dubbed the "Disgrace of Gijon," as Austria and Germany played to a mutually beneficial scoreline. Horst Hrubesch scored 10 minutes in for Germany, then both sides stopped playing, hollowly going through the motions. Algeria were forced to go home, but the Anschluss scarred the country's footballing psyche. To this day, Algeria remains the only nation to have been eliminated from the group stage despite winning two matches.
Asked what message he would like to pass on to today's squad, Ali Fergani, captain of that 1982 side, paused then said: "Help us forget 1982."
After a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Algeria outplayed Socrates' high-flying Brazil in a 1-0 defeat and lost 3-0 to Spain to finish bottom of their group. The same results ended their hopes in South Africa 2010, with a dull 0-0 draw with England their only highlight before the United States' latest of late goals added another scar to their fragile ego. Only now do they seem to have the desire to overcome that handicapping mental hurdle.
Indeed, burying the ghosts of history will be Vahid Halilhodzic's main task come June. The neurotic Bosnian manager is an authoritative yet endearing perfectionist who gets the very best out of each and every individual. Expect Coach Vahid, as he is affectionately known, to have his team physically, tactically and technically prepared for all three matches against Belgium, Russia and South Korea.
Halilhodzic is loyal to his 4-3-3. Depending on the opposition, he will use a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-2-1. The slight alteration places emphasis on attack or defence, but it does not drastically change Algeria's playing style.
Whatever the tactical permutation in place, Algeria tend to primarily attack down the flanks. Full-backs Faouzi Ghoulam and Aissa Mandi play an important part in launching attacks due to their comfort on the ball. Bursting ahead of them are Sofiane Feghouli and El Arbi Hillel Soudani.
Certainly, Feghouli is Algeria's bona fide talisman. Year after year, the Valencia ace has implemented incremental improvements, and they have paid off. At first, he increased his already generous defensive contribution. Then Feghouli learned how to run in behind defenders, creating space for others and scoring a good number of goals to boot. This year, his improvement has been in the crossing department.
It's that crossing skill that Soudani profits from. Soudani is a bit of an unknown quantity in the wider footballing world, but he is indispensable to the way Algeria play their football.
The winger/forward is situated on the flank but has a keen eye for goal. His off-the-ball movement, in particular, is lethal, and Soudani excels at ghosting in behind smaller full-backs and winning aerial duels at the far post. At the age of 26, Soudani is already Algeria's ninth top goal scorer, with a ratio that sees him score once in every two matches.
Madjid Bougherra, the team's skipper, brings plenty of experience and character to a relatively young squad. He will probably be partnered with Carl Medjani in the heart of defence. Medjani is Halilhodzic's principal trustee, and the former Liverpool man is the only Algerian player to have played every minute of World Cup qualification.
This Algeria side has no glaring weaknesses, but inexperience in key positions is worrisome. For instance, in central midfield, Nabil Bentaleb and Saphir Taïder have accumulated a combined 10 caps.
Another area of concern is in goal. Algeria are not known for producing good goalkeepers, and this year's crop has not bucked the trend. CSKA Sofia stopper Rais M'Bolhi will probably end up between the sticks, but his troubles at club level have been well documented for several years as he has struggled to nail down a starting place.
Nevertheless, the Fennecs stack up well in Group H. On paper, Belgium are the clear favourites, but the second place to the knockout stages is up for grabs. With players at Valencia, Napoli, Inter Milan, Tottenham, Porto and Sporting, Algeria certainly won't have too much to envy from their opponents. They have a headstrong coach at the helm, a vivacious and eager young squad and a clear-cut target to work toward. If they can put the ghosts of the past to bed, this team is perfectly positioned to keep with tradition and slay a giant or two in a month's time.