‘No need to panic, this was a wake-up call’ Koeman

Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen yells at a teammate during the defeat to Algeria. Pic/Onsoranje Instagram

The Netherlands suffered a rude awakening just over a week before of the FIFA World Cup, slumping to a shock 0-1 loss against Algeria here on Wednesday.

Anis Hadj Moussa struck a late winner for the Algerians to leave Dutch coach Ronald Koeman fuming with the result.

"I absolutely hate losing; this was a match we should have won. We have to win these kind of home matches; our ranking [seventh] demands it," said a furious Koeman.

Ronald Koeman. Pic/AFP

The Dutch manager lamented his side's inability to capitalise on their early chances.

"If you don't put the game to bed within those first 25 minutes, you end up playing against yourselves. If you get four or five clear chances, you have to score," explained Koeman before adding, "At times we lacked aggression and were simply too nice."

When asked if it was better to lose now, in a friendly, rather than at the World Cup, Koeman retorted: "No. Winning always gives you a certain feeling. Losing is simply bad. We don't need to panic now, but we do need to dot the i's and cross the t's again. You can call it a wake-up call."

Koeman's side will face Uzbekistan in a friendly match in New York on Monday. It will be their final game before the global showpiece tournament kicks off on June 11.

The Dutch are drawn in Group F at the World Cup, alongside Sweden, Tunisia and Japan. Algeria are in Group J, alongside Argentina, Jordan, and Austria.

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The Netherlands's unbeaten streak prior to their loss vs Algeria

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