Algeria beat Togo 1-0 in Tizi Ouzou thanks to a late header from captain Ramy Bensebaïni. Amine Gouiri, who started, lacked luck, and Mohamed Amoura is now a year without a goal for his national team.
They had to wait until the end of the match, but Algeria eventually found the breakthrough. Against Togo in Tizi Ouzou on 13 November, the Greens won 1-0 on matchday 3 of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, according to Foot Mercato and Sports.fr. Ramy Bensebaïni delivered his side with a header from an Anis Hadj Moussa cross, in the 73rd or 76th minute depending on the source. It was his 11th goal in 90 caps.
The win, though, was no walk in the park. Brahim Hemdani, the Algeria head coach, admitted as much bluntly to Football365: “It took time. We lacked verticality. We had to play and make sure the opponent couldn’t operate on the counter.”
Gouiri starts, Amoura still without a goal
Amine Gouiri, the OM striker, played the full match. Starting, he had a good chance, but a tackle from Lilian Brassier, the former Marseille defender who was winning his first cap with Togo, saved it (L’Omnisports). A night without luck, even though he has solid statistics at club level: 7 goals and 3 assists in 10 Ligue 1 matches this season, 8 goals and 3 assists in 14 games in all competitions, according to But Football Club and Football365.
Up front, Mohamed Amoura missed a one-on-one with the Togo goalkeeper in the first half. The OGC Nice striker is now a year without scoring for Algeria, report Football365 and Foot-Africa.
Himad Abdelli, the OM attacking midfielder, came on in the 67th minute. He almost doubled the lead with a powerful shot, pushed away by Malcolm Barcola in the 86th minute (L’Omnisports, Sports.fr). Sohaib Naïr, the AS Saint-Étienne defender, remained on the bench, according to Made in Saint-Étienne.
Seven points and top of Group I
With 7 points from three matchdays, Algeria lead Group I ahead of Zambia, who have 4 (Foot Mercato, OneFootball). A comfortable cushion in the race for AFCON 2027, even if, by his own admission, the coach’s side were not perfect in this narrow victory.
Back in action in Lomé on Tuesday
The Greens have no time to rest: they face Togo again on Tuesday afternoon in Lomé for the return match, according to Sports.fr. A win on Togolese soil could confirm Algeria’s qualification.
At club level, the transfer question remains open: according to Massilia Zone, relayed by But Football Club, offers are expected for Gouiri from January, without any club or fee being mentioned. A rumour, then, to be taken with caution.