Togo v Algeria: a win in Lomé, and a Zambia result, would send the Fennecs to AFCON 2027

Algeria go to Lomé on Tuesday 17 November needing a win, and a favour, to reach the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with two matchdays to spare. Brahim Hemdani's side beat Togo 1-0 in Tizi Ouzou on Saturday and lead Group I with seven points from three games, three clear of Zambia, as DZfoot's account of the first leg sets out. The return match is at the Stade de Kégué; our fixture list has kick-off at 16:00 GMT, which is 17:00 in Algiers.

What Tuesday can settle

The arithmetic is short. A win takes Algeria to ten points and leaves Togo seven behind with two games left. That alone is not enough: DzBallon's breakdown of the scenario notes that Zambia must also avoid defeat away to Burundi in the group's other match. If both happen, no two teams can still finish above Algeria, and the top two of the group go to the finals. La Gazette du Fennec makes the same reading and adds the caution the first leg earned: Algeria's one away match in this campaign so far was a 2-2 draw in Burundi, rescued after going two goals down.

The first leg in our numbers

Saturday's match was decided by two players our match data also puts at the top. Ramy Bensebaïni headed in the only goal on 76 minutes and has the highest rating of Algeria's starters in the provider's figures, 7.95. The cross came from Anis Hadj Moussa, who also took four of Algeria's shots, more than any team-mate who started, and is rated 7.70. Behind them, goalkeeper Melvin Mastil made three saves in a clean sheet, and Nabil Bentaleb won eight duels from the base of midfield.

The same data shows where it was hard work. Algeria's two forwards, Amine Gouiri and Mohammed Amoura, are the lowest-rated starters at 6.34 and 6.44, and Togo's five-man defence kept the game goalless for more than 75 minutes. Hemdani made three changes between the 63rd and 67th minutes, and the goal came nine minutes after the last of them. Ratings are the data provider's, not ours, and one match is a small sample; we report them as recorded.

Who is missing

The provider of that winning cross will not be in Lomé. Hadj Moussa and Ibrahim Maza, who started in the number 10 role, have both been ruled out. La Gazette du Fennec quotes the federation's statement that the two withdrew "following ankle injuries sustained in the match against Togo" (our translation). They join a list that was already long: Afrik-Foot counts six earlier withdrawals from this squad, among them Jaouen Hadjam, Hicham Boudaoui and Bachir Belloumi, and reports that it was too late to call up replacements before the flight. The delegation left for Lomé on Sunday, according to La Gazette du Fennec.

Afrik-Foot suggests Farès Chaïbi, who started on Saturday, or Himad Abdelli, who came on, as the like-for-like options for Maza's position. We make no prediction of the eleven.

What to watch

Three things, and they are our reading rather than anyone's reporting. First, whether Algeria can win away: Hemdani is unbeaten in four matches in charge, three wins and a draw by DZfoot's count, but all three wins came at home. Second, who creates without Hadj Moussa and Maza, who between them took seven of the starters' shots on Saturday. Third, Togo's position: with three points, a home defeat would leave them needing other results to stay in the race, so the caution they showed in Tizi Ouzou may not be an option.

We will update this preview with the result and verified details after the match.

First-leg result, scorer, group table and Hemdani's record from DZfoot; qualification scenario from DzBallon and La Gazette du Fennec; the withdrawals and the federation's statement as reported by La Gazette du Fennec and Afrik-Foot; all linked above. Lineup, minutes, shots, saves, duels and ratings for Algeria v Togo come from the FennecStats match database (data provider: API-Football), as does the kick-off time. FennecStats Editorial is the project's collective byline; AI tools assisted with drafting and source checks.