Annaba – On Friday evening, May 9, 2025, Algeria’s local football team triumphed over Gambia with a 3-0 victory (0-0 at halftime) at the 19 May 1956 Stadium in Annaba, earning qualification for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled for August 2-30, 2025.
Following a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Bakau, the Algerian team, led by coach Majid Bougherra, needed to score quickly to secure qualification. However, reliance on lateral passes, poor utilization, and a lack of offensive responsibility limited the local team’s chances, with only rare opportunities troubling Gambia’s goalkeeper, Lamin Saidy, and his defense.
Early in the match, Abdelrahmane Meziane missed a shot in the 22nd minute, while Akram Bouras had the first real scoring chance in the 29th minute with a strong 20-meter strike, which Saidy parried for a corner.
The second half saw Algeria, led by captain Oussama Benbot, start strongly under Bougherra’s pressure, especially after substituting Adel Boulbina for Bilal Boukerchaoui. The Greens opened the scoring in the 46th minute through a brilliant move down the right flank, finished by Meziane with a low shot.
Despite a brief improvement, Algeria’s momentum waned as Gambia settled in their half for ten minutes. However, the Algerian squad gradually regained control, with Boulbina scoring in the 70th minute and again in the 90th minute, following a saved shot by Bouras in the 72nd minute and a strike by Aimen Mahious that hit the post in the 73rd minute.
Coaches’ Statements
The following are statements gathered by APS from the coaches of Algeria and Gambia’s local football teams after the second leg of the second round of CHAN 2025 qualifiers, held on Friday evening at the 19 May 1956 Stadium in Annaba, where Algeria won 3-0 (0-0 at halftime).
Majid Bougherra (Algeria’s Local Team Coach):
“Today, we achieved the most important thing—qualification—despite the challenging conditions of this competition and the difficulty of assembling the right squad in a short time. The match wasn’t easy at the start, and we knew the opponent would play defensively. In the second half, we played differently, which bore fruit with three goals, even though our players are at the end of the season, having played many matches. They gave everything, and I congratulate them as the task wasn’t easy. I’m delighted we executed the tactical plans we trained for all last week. This confirms that the local team is maturing in its performance with each match, which is what matters to me, especially the cohesion and complementarity among the players.”
Haji Sarr (Gambia’s Coach):
“We played a good match despite the loss, especially in the first half, where we kept a clean sheet. However, our players were very fatigued due to the long journey, lack of sufficient rest, and travel strain, which negatively impacted us, particularly in the second half. Algeria has a very strong local team that reached the CHAN final in the last edition, thanks to players accustomed to competing in the CAF Confederation Cup and Champions League, unlike our players, who only play in the domestic league. Our players gained valuable experience from this match. I’m satisfied with my team’s performance, as there are significant disparities between the Algerian and Gambian squads. We lacked effectiveness in front of goal and some focus today, but the physical collapse of our team was met with the opponent’s determination.”
