Algeria Open the Road to 2027 with a Three-Goal Win over Zambia
The Desert Foxes begin their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 3-1 win, and it is the new generation that gets on the scoresheet
By Dr. Talal Othman, General Manager — GCC Sport
Algeria wasted no time stating their intent. In the second minute, before the match had found its rhythm or taken any clear shape, Jaouen Hadjam put the ball in the Zambian net. The opening game of Group I in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers became a clear message: this team wants to turn the page quickly, and a quiet start was never the plan.
An early goal, then a test of patience
An early goal gives a team the lead, but it also sets a hard test. A lead in the second minute can go one of two ways: it becomes total control, or it breeds a complacency that lets the opponent back in. Zambia did not come to watch. They know how to turn waiting into pressure and how to punish lapses in concentration. So the result hung on a single goal for a long time, and the question stayed open into the second half: did Algeria have enough to finish the game, or would they settle for the bare minimum?
Maza and Hadj Moussa: the new generation speaks
The answer came in just seven minutes. On 67 minutes, Ibrahim Maza, one of the leading faces of Algeria's new project, scored the second goal. It was more than an extra goal. It showed that roles inside this squad are changing. Anis Hadj Moussa then added the third on 74 minutes. His game is built on boldness in one-on-one duels and speed into open space.
All three scorers, Hadjam, Maza and Hadj Moussa, belong to a generation expected to take on full responsibility. That is the real value of this win. The three points matter, but what matters more is that the goals came from the players the future is being built around.
Zambia's goal: a note the win does not erase
One point stands even after the win. The goal Algeria conceded shows that their defensive focus was not complete for the full ninety minutes. In qualifying, standings are often settled on goal difference, so a goal conceded is never a minor detail.
The verdict
Algeria started the way ambitious teams start: an early goal, patience in midfield, and a decisive finish at the right moment. But success in African qualifying is not measured by the first match. It is measured by the ability to repeat this performance away from home, on difficult grounds and in front of hostile crowds. The start is good, but the real test is still in the rounds ahead.
