Algiers – The Algerian national football team, currently on an upward trajectory, is set to face Togo on Monday in Lomé, aiming to secure their spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals. The match will take place at the “Kégué” Stadium at 17:00 (Algerian time) as part of the fourth round of the AFCON qualifiers (Group E).
After a dominant 5-1 victory against the same Togo team last Thursday, Algeria will look to continue their winning momentum and clinch a fourth consecutive win, which would guarantee their qualification for the 2025 AFCON without having to rely on the results of the final two rounds in November.
Sitting comfortably atop Group E with 9 points, 5 points clear of second-placed Equatorial Guinea, the Algerian team is in a strong position to deliver another positive result in Lomé. To achieve this, the Algerian squad will need to leverage all its key players against a Togo team eager to bounce back on home turf and keep their own qualifying hopes alive.
Regarding team selection, Algeria’s head coach, Vladimir Petković, will have several options despite missing defenders Mohamed Fares, who sustained an injury during Friday’s training session, and Johan Hajjami, who joined the squad with an injury and is still not fully fit.
Petković hinted during the press conference following the third-round match that he may make some changes to the lineup, particularly in defense. He noted, “Although we won today 5-1, there are still many things we need to adjust… In the first half, we played somewhat naively, especially in defense, where we struggled in one-on-one battles.”
Defender Aïssa Mandi, who reached his 100th cap for Algeria during the match against Togo, will likely play a crucial role in helping his team secure another victory, which would confirm Algeria’s qualification for the final stage and boost their morale for the remaining fixtures.
On the other side, Togo, who suffered their first loss in the qualifiers against Algeria, now finds itself in a must-win situation. Their defeat dropped them to third place in the group standings after Equatorial Guinea’s 1-0 victory over Liberia.
Following Thursday’s loss, Togo’s head coach, Neboipi Daré, stated that he and his technical staff would thoroughly analyze the match tape to identify their mistakes and prepare a strategy to respond effectively in Lomé, ensuring they remain in contention for qualification.
“We will review the video from Thursday’s match to understand the errors we made… Although we don’t have much time, we will work to fix the issues and be ready for the challenge against Algeria in Lomé. We will focus on our strengths to prepare for this crucial encounter,” said Daré.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed a refereeing team from the Democratic Republic of Congo to officiate the match between Togo and Algeria. The officiating team will be led by chief referee Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo, assisted by his compatriots Nabina Blési Sébouto (Assistant Referee 1) and Gulyan Bangala Ngila (Assistant Referee 2), with Louis Mwamba Masunguna serving as the fourth official.
In the other Group E match, second-placed Equatorial Guinea (4 points) will travel to Monrovia to face Liberia (bottom of the group with 1 point). This match is also scheduled for Monday at 17:00 (Algerian time).
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Only one team from the group containing the tournament’s host nation will advance directly to the finals.
For more updates on Algeria’s AFCON qualifying campaign, visit DZWATCH.DZ.
Author: nor-eleslam
