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Algeria - Zambia: Lwandamina, "We made a lot of mistakes in this match."

DZFoot·September 26, 2026

Zambia's coach, George Lwandamina, reflected on his team's defeat against Algeria (3-1) on Friday night in Tizi-Ouzou. The Zambian technician notably mentioned the mistakes made by his players, as well as the impact of injuries on the course of the match.

Zambia could not withstand the comeback of the Greens. After equalizing through Fashion Sakala in the 57th minute, the Chipolopolos ultimately conceded two more goals from Ibrahim Maza and then Anis Hadj Moussa, allowing Algeria to win 3-1.

At the end of the match, George Lwandamina acknowledged that his team made too many mistakes during this first day of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.

"We made a lot of mistakes in this match," said the Zambian coach, who also explained the difficulties faced by his players after Algeria's second goal.

Lwandamina believes that the goal scored by Ibrahim Maza in the 67th minute had a significant impact on his team's behavior. "My players were paralyzed after the 2-1 goal and eventually cracked," he explained after the match.

The coach also highlighted another factor that, according to him, affected Zambia's performance: injuries. Several changes had to be made during the match, forcing the staff to reconsider some of their choices.

"The injuries affected us. We were forced to make changes that we wouldn't have made under normal circumstances, and that cost us the match," Lwandamina stated.

Despite this defeat, Zambia will need to quickly move on as they must prepare for the rest of the qualifiers. On the other hand, Algeria has perfectly launched its campaign with three points, having made the difference in the last half hour.