Algeria secured a 3-1 victory over Zambia in the first Group Stage match of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Stade du 5 Juillet. The hosts took an early lead through Jaouen Hadjam, who found the net just two minutes into the contest. But to be fair, the match turned into something far more competitive than the opening minutes suggested.
Algeria made their first change at the twenty-minute mark, bringing on Amine Gouiri for a fresh look in attack. Zambia responded by bringing on Patson Daka just before half-time, trying to find their footing against a side that had been dominating possession. And here's the thing — the visitors weren't going to sit back without a fight.
Joseph Liteta picked up a yellow card in the forty-ninth minute as tensions began to rise. Fashion Sakala equalised for Zambia in the fifty-seventh, capitalising on a moment of hesitation in the Algerian defence. By then, the match had opened up considerably, with both sides looking to impose themselves on the game.
>Ibrahim Maza restored Algeria's lead in the sixty-seventh minute, before Anis Hadj Moussa added a third just seven minutes later. Zambia made three changes at the sixty-eighth minute, but they were already chasing the game. The hosts had punished them from open play and weren't going to let up.
Algeria dominated possession at 67 per cent and registered 120 attacks compared to Zambia's 52. The hosts had 20 shots on target combined, of which six found the net, while Zambia managed only two from eight attempts. The statistics tell you everything about who controlled the tempo and who was reacting.
The result leaves Algeria top of their qualifying group with nine points from three matches. Zambia remain fourth with zero games and zero points — the season has just started and the table says nothing yet. The Algerians will need to maintain this level of efficiency if they're to avoid dropping points in the remaining fixtures.
