Tizi Ouzou, March 25, 2025 – In a thrilling display of dominance and attacking brilliance, the Algerian national football team swept aside Mozambique with a resounding 5-1 victory on Tuesday evening at the newly inaugurated Hussein Aït Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou. The match, part of the sixth round of CAF World Cup 2026 qualifiers, saw the “Desert Warriors” reclaim first place in Group G with 15 points.
From the opening whistle, Algeria showed clear intent, pressing high and dictating the tempo. Within just eight minutes, forward Mohamed El Amine Amoura capitalized on a defensive error, setting up a one-two with Riyad Mahrez before calmly finishing past the Mozambican goalkeeper to open the scoring and ignite the home crowd.
The pressure continued as Algeria doubled their lead in the 24th minute, thanks to a powerful header from defender Aïssa Mandi, who reacted quickest to a rebound off a saved shot from Rayan Aït Nouri. Just six minutes later, Mahrez once again turned provider, dazzling the defense with his dribbling before assisting Amoura for his second of the night.
Despite a brief lapse in concentration that allowed Mozambique’s Geny Catamo to pull one back in the 39th minute, the first half ended 3-1 in favor of the Algerians, who had completely controlled proceedings.
In the second half, the hosts remained relentless. Jowan Hadjam headed home a fourth goal in the 65th minute, assisted once again by the man of the match, Amoura. The final blow came in the 79th minute, when Amoura completed his hat-trick, latching onto a loose ball in the box and slamming it home, sealing an emphatic win and earning the title of “Player of the Match” with three goals and one assist.
Head coach Vladimir Petkovic utilized the comfortable lead to rotate his squad, introducing key names like Youcef Belaïli, Saïd Benrahma, Ibrahim Maza, Amine Chiakha, and Youcef Atal. Their fresh energy helped maintain Algeria’s high tempo and pressure, although a sixth goal narrowly eluded the team despite several late chances.
With this victory, Algeria now leads Group G with 15 points, ahead of Mozambique (12 points). Botswana and Uganda follow with 9 points each, Guinea holds 7, and Somalia trails with just 1 point.
Prior to kickoff, a minute of silence was observed in memory of Jamal Menad, the former national team striker and Algerian football icon, who passed away recently at the age of 64.
In other Group G matches, Uganda defeated Guinea 1-0, and Botswana overcame Somalia 2-0. Algeria will next face Botswana at home in the seventh round of qualifiers, scheduled between September 1 and 9, 2025.
Only the top team in each of the nine CAF groups will directly qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams will enter a continental playoff, followed by an intercontinental decider for a chance to secure the final World Cup berths.
Written by: Nor Eleslam for Dzwatch.dz
