AFCON 2025 Qualifiers: Algeria host Equatorial Guinea
Algeria and Equatorial Guinea are set to clash at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium on Thursday, both aiming to kick off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a victory.
The two sides have met just once previously, with Equatorial Guinea emerging victorious in a 1-0 win at the 2021 AFCON.
Algeria, having suffered a 2-1 defeat to Guinea in their first competitive match under Vladimir Petkovic, quickly rebounded with a 2-1 win over Uganda, as goals from Houssem Aouar and Said Benrahma secured the victory for the Fennec Foxes in the 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
The Northern Africans are now seeking to qualify for a seventh consecutive AFCON edition in a bid to clinch their third title, having won the second one in 2019.
Algeria’s recent AFCON campaign was disappointing as they failed to advance beyond the group stage for the second time in a row, picking up just two points from a group that included Angola, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.
Manager Petkovic will be hoping for a repeat of the team’s success in the last two AFCON qualification campaigns, where they remained unbeaten.
Equatorial Guinea also experienced mixed results in their recent international matches, suffering a 1-0 loss to Tunisia before securing a 1-0 home win over Malawi.
The victory over Malawi was a hard-fought win, as it took an 82nd-minute goal from Iban Salvador to separate both sides in the 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
The Nzalang Nacional, who exited the 2023 AFCON in the round of 16, aspire to qualify for a third consecutive edition and their fifth overall.
Starting the qualifying campaign on a positive note is crucial for Juan Micha’s men, but they will need to overcome a five-match winless streak on the road, which includes three defeats and two draws.
Team captain, Riyad Mahrez, and goalkeeper, Alexandre Oukidja, will be making their returns to the team after coming out of international retirement.
Left-back Naoufel Khacef from CR Belouizdad was also recalled, while right-back Mohamed Farsi from Columbus Crew was called up for the first time after switching from Canada.
Salvador, who has seven goals in 44 caps, will be the man to watch for Equatorial Guinea, alongside 21-year-old striker, Luis Nlavo.
Greece-based forward, Josete Miranda, and former West Ham midfielder, Pedro Obiang, are the other two players expected to complete the attacking quartet.
—Sports Mole
