The Algerian national team kicked off their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with an exciting 3-1 victory over their guest, the Zambian national team, in the match that brought them together on Friday evening, September 25, 2026, as part of the first round of the qualifiers.
The Algerian national team entered the confrontation strongly, and only needed two minutes to open the scoring, after Zayyan Hajjam managed to shake Zambia's net early, giving the hosts a quick advantage that ignited the match atmosphere.
The Algerian national team maintained their lead until the end of the first half, despite the Zambian national team's attempts to come back into the game, ending the first half with the Desert Warriors leading by one goal to nil.
At the start of the second half, Zambia succeeded in bringing the match back to square one, after Fashion Sakala scored the equalizer in the 57th minute, taking advantage of the Algerian national team's temporary decline in the course of the match.
The hosts' response was not delayed, as Ibrahim Mazeh restored Algeria's lead in the 67th minute, after scoring the second goal, to return the advantage to the Desert Warriors before Anis Hadj Moussa largely sealed the match.
In the 74th minute, Hadj Moussa added the third goal for the Algerian national team, strengthening the hosts' lead and leaving Zambia facing a difficult task in the remaining minutes.
The Zambian national team tried to reduce the deficit in the final minutes, but Algeria's defense maintained their lead until the final whistle, allowing the Desert Warriors to achieve a 3-1 victory and collect their first three points in the qualifiers.
The victory gains special importance for the Algerian national team, as it is the first official test for coach Ibrahim Hamdani at the helm of the technical staff, after he took over the position, succeeding the Bosnian Vladimir Petković.
With this victory, the Algerian national team began their qualifiers strongly, while the Zambian national team suffered their first defeat at the start of the group's competitions, which also includes Togo and Burundi.