Algeria thrash Liberia to comfortably win Group E

by Staff Reporter

Sunday Nov 17, 2024. 20:26

Algeria ensured they finished their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with an unbeaten record after running out 5-1 victors over Liberia at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium on Sunday, November 17.

The Lone Stars took a surprise lead through Samson Dweh after just six minutes, but goals from Aissa Mandi, Riyad Mahrez, Baghdad Bounedjah, Amine Gouiri and Mohamed Amoura maintained the Fennec Foxes’ unbeaten record in Group E.

Vladimir Petkovic’s side had seen their perfect start to the qualifying campaign come an end with a 0-0 draw against Equatorial Guinea on Thursday, while the West Africans edged Togo 1-0 the previous day to register their first win in the group.

The home crowd in Tizi Ouzou were hoping to be treated on their first international outing, but they were stunned early on when Dweh got on the end of Daniel Toe’s pass to fire past Alexis Guendouz.

Algeria wasted little time in finding a response as Mandi tucked his shot past Abdulai Koulibaly from inside the area on 20 minutes and they hit the front just nine minutes later with a header from Mahrez at the back post following Gouiri’s cross on the left byline.

The hosts went on to dominate proceedings, although they had to wait until the 64th minute to get on the scoresheet again after Gouiri’s initial shot came back off the inside of the left post and Bounedjah bundled the ball home from close range on the rebound.

Teenager William Gibson should have pulled one back four minutes later when he surged through the middle of the park and held off Mohamed Tougai before firing just wide of the left post from the edge of the box.

Gouiri would get the goal his performance deserved on 74 minutes as he side-footed the ball into an open net after Koulibaly rushed off his line in an attempt to cut out Amoura’s cross from the right.

Gouiri almost struck again nine minutes later as he pounced on an awful pass from Divine Teah across his own box, but Koulibaly pulled off a fine save at point-blank range.

Amoura then saw his header cleared off the line by Prince Balde after meeting a deep free-kick at the back post on 86 minutes. However, the substitute would not be denied as he lashed the ball home from an angle on the left after being played in by Himad Abdelli in the fifth minute of stoppage time.