Algeria will have very fond memories of Africa Cup of Nations tournaments being held in North Africa. The 2 times The Fennecs have lifted the AFCON trophy have both taken place in North Africa. The first was in 1990 when Algeria were hosts, and the second more recent occurrence was in 2019 when the tournament was held in Egypt. Algeria come into this tournament with a squad capable of lifting the trophy in North Africa for the 3rd time.
Algeria went unbeaten in AFCON 2025 qualifying, winning 5 and drawing 1 match. This Algeria side showed they are capable of scoring plenty of goals, scoring 16 during the qualifiers; while on the defensive they end only allowed 2. Algeria will however be without top goal scorer during qualifying, Amine Gouiri, as he is set to miss out through injury.
Algeria will be desperate to make major improvements from their last 2 Africa Cup of Nations appearances which saw them bow out at the group stage. In fact, Algeria haven’t won an Africa Cup of Nations match since the final of the 2019 edition. Following the disappointment of the 2023 tournament, long time head coach Djamel Belmadi was sacked, bringing an end to a 6 year reign. Algeria brought in a very experienced coach in the form of Vladimir Petković. The longtime Switzerland head coach comes highly regarded after a successful 7 year stint in charge of the Swiss.
Petković has had success early, reaching the Africa Cup of Nations as well as helping lead Algeria to qualification for their first FIFA World Cup since 2014 in Brazil.
Algeria will be one of the best supported nations in Morocco this AFCON, with all of their group stage matches selling out with the expectation that there will be sea of green and white in the stands. Algeria will hope for another magical North African tournament.
Potential Starting XI
Coach
Vladimir Petković
This is Petković’s second national team head coaching job after leading Switzerland for 7 years. This is, however, Petkovic’s first job in African football.
Players to Watch
Riyad Mahrez
Age: 34
Position: RW
Caps/Goals: 107/34
Club: Al-Ahli SFC (Saudi Arabia)
One of the hero’s of Algeria’s 2019 triumph, Mahrez is still very much a key figure for The Fennecs. The captain will be playing in his 6th Africa Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Amoura
Age: 25
Position: LW/CF
Caps/Goals: 38/19
Club: VfL Wolfsburg (Germany)
Amoura has become one of the biggest names in Algerian football. After making his move to European football in 2021, Amoura has scored bags of goals everywhere he’s gone. Capable of playing across the front line.
Algeria Schedule
December 24, 2025 vs. Sudan – Rabat
December 28, 2025 vs. Burkina Faso – Rabat
December 31, 2025 vs. Equatorial Guinea – Rabat
Country Information
Did you know…
Algeria is home to the world’s smallest fox, The Fennec, known for it’s large ears. The Fennec is the nickname of the Algerian national team.
