d sPOLOKWANE, South Africa (AP) — Robert Koren scored a late goal Sunday to give Slovenia a 1-0 win over 10-man Algeria and first place in Group C of the World Cup, ahead of the United States and England.
The Slovenian captain struck a long-range shot that Algeria goalkeeper Fawzi Chaouchi misjudged and allowed to bounce into the net off his arm in the 79th minute.
It was the first World Cup victory for Slovenia, the smallest nation in the tournament with a population of around 2 million. The Balkan country lost all three of its group matches in the 2002 tournament.
Algeria substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal was sent off in the 72nd, picking up a second yellow card for handling the ball inside the Slovenian penalty area.
Both sides knew they were heading into a match in which a loss would be costly, with tough games against England and the United States left on the schedule. The Group C favorites tied 1-1 Saturday.
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