Zimbabwe aim to knock high-flying Algeria off their perch

by Bertin Basson

Wednesday Nov 11, 2020. 15:00

Zimbabwe will be aiming to knock Algeria off their perch when they take aim at the reigning African champions in a 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Algiers on Thursday evening.

Kick-off at Stade du 5 Juillet is set for 21h00 CAT.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champions are unbeaten in 20 matches heading into back-to-back games versus the Warriors and having claimed a maximum six points from two Group H matches.

Djamel Belmadi’s men followed a 5-0 thumping of Zambia with a 1-0 win over Botswana in Gaborone last November and will be clear favourites when coming up against the Warriors this month.

Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez will captain a Desert Foxes team that includes the exciting Said Benrahma and an in-form Ismael Bennacer who has impressed for AC Milan this season.

Standing in their way is a Zimbabwean side that followed a 0-0 draw at home to Botswana with a 2-1 win over Zambia in their most recent competitive outing. Kaizer Chiefs forward Khama Billiat scored a brace for the visitors in Lusaka last year as they now take aim at top spot.

“It always feels good to come back home and represent the country,” Zimbabwe captain Knowledge Musona told The Herald this week before jetting off to Algeria.

“We are looking forward to the upcoming games against Algeria.

“There isn’t much to say. We just have to do it, not to talk. We have to go there and try to play the game to win and, of course, when they come here we also have to aim to win.

“So, we are going to do our best as a team. We just want to promise our fans that we are going to do everything we can to collect some points in these two games.”

Zimbabwe will host the reverse tie at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Monday.