Algeria ease past Somalia to secure World Cup spot

by Staff Reporter

Thursday Oct 09, 2025. 20:35

Algeria will be heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 3-0 win over Somalia at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Bir El Djir, Algeria, on Thursday.

With another three points, the Desert Foxes maintained their four point lead at the top of group G, keeping them out of reach of second-placed Uganda.

The Desert Foxes will be heading to their fifth appearance on the world stage after a 12 year hiatus.

Somalia remain on one point at the bottom of the group after being dealt its eighth loss of the qualifying campaign.

It took Algeria just six minutes to break the deadlock as Mohamed Amoura headed home Riyad Mahrez’s cross at the back post.

Baghdad Bounedjah doubled his side’s lead in the 10th minute, but his header went wide of the target.

Bounedjah’s 18th minute cross took a deflection and fell to Farès Chaïbi who hit the woodwork after the ball fell to him in the box.

Mahrez added a goal to his assist in the 19th minute as Chaïbi’s cross from the byline sailed over the plates packed in the six-yard box, finding Mahrez in space. The Algerian captain took his time, finding the top left corner with a thumping strike to double his side’s lead.

The Desert Foxes continued to push and almost found a third in the 26th minute, but Ramy Bensebaini’s header was kept out by goalkeeper Abdirahman Mohamud Jama.

Somalia’s first chance of the half came in the 38th minute, as Handwalla Bwana took a crack from the edge of the area. His effort could not find the goal and flew over the crossbar.

Algeria extended its lead to three goals in the 57th minute as Mahrez got a cross past Abdulsamed Abdullahi, which reached the head of Amoura. The winger rose above the defence to score his second header of the match.

Substitute Ibrahim Maza took a crack from the edge of the area in the 62nd minute, but his effort did not trouble Mohamud Jama.

Another substitute, Youcef Belaïli, nearly made an impact off the bench with an impressive solo run in the dying moments of regulation time. He successfully carved his way into the box but could not convert, sending the ball wide of the posts.

Having already reached its goal, Algeria will be able to take it easy against Uganda at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium in Algeria on Tuesday.

Somalia face Mozambique at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium on Tuesday and will look secure its first win of the campaign in its last fixture.

Somalia 0

Algeria (2) 3 (Amoura 7’, 57’, Mahrez 19’)

Somalia: A. Mohamud Jama, A. Abdullahi (F. Ahmed 75’), M. Omar, A. Gigli, F. Othman, A. Omar, A. Abdullahi, A. Musse (M. Nour 75’), A. Sharif (A. Iman 87’), H. Bwana (B. Habib 67’), M. Suleiman (Y. Sa’Ad 67’)

Algeria: A. Guendouz, R. Belghali, A. Mandi, R. Bensebaini, J. Hadjam, H. Boudaoui (Y. Benzia 85’), N. Bentaleb (Y. Belaïli 60’), F. Chaïbi, R. Mahrez (A. Hadj-Moussa 65’), M. Amoura (I. Maza 60’), B. Bounedjah (A. Gouiri 65’)

By Nic Gleeson