Algeria head coach Vladimir Petkovic will be looking forward the milder conditions when his team conclude their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Liberia at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium on Sunday, November 17.
Kick-off is at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
Current form:
The Fennec Foxes have already booked their place at the tournament in Morocco as winners of Group E after collecting 13 points from their opening five matches.
However, their 100 per cent record came to an end on November 14 with a 0-0 draw against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo, where temperatures reached 30°C in the early afternoon and the players had to deal with 85 per cent humidity on the pitch.
The stalemate halted a five-game winning streak for Petkovic’s side, who suffered their first defeat under the Bosnian against Guinea (2-1) in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on June 6.
Algeria ran out emphatic 3-0 victors in the reverse fixture two months ago in Monrovia and Petkovic will be keen to do the double over Liberia in a bid to remain unbeaten in qualifying.
Thomas Kojo will just be looking to steady the ship following the departure of Mario Marinica as head coach of the Lone Stars last month.
Marinica steered his team to the group stages with a 2-0 aggregate win over Djibouti in March, but failed to pick up a win in his next four games.
A 2-1 loss to the National Thunder on October 14 was the final straw for the Liberia Football Association, who replaced him with Kojo for the final two qualifiers.
Kojo began his interim tenure with a 1-0 triumph over Togo on November 13 and will be looking to pose a stronger challenge to the North Africans in Tizi Ouzou.
What was said:
Algeria head coach Vladimir Petkovic
“The conditions were very difficult – high temperatures and humidity made the game complicated.
“I’m not here to find excuses, but I must be realistic. Equatorial Guinea is a strong side with decent capabilities.”
Players to watch:
Algeria – Amine Gouiri has caught the eye for the Fennec Foxes during the 2025 Afcon qualifiers, although he’s been mainly used as an impact substitute. The 24-year-old striker stepped off the bench to score against Equatorial Guinea and Togo, while he also found the back of the net in the previous encounter with Liberia as a starter.
Liberia – William Gibson has a bright future ahead of him and he’s already won eight caps at the tender age of 16. The striker opened his account for the national team in the 1-1 draw with Togo on September 6 and also scored in the 2-1 reverse to Equatorial Guinea on October 14. He has yet to earn a start for the Lone Stars, but came off the bench once more in the win over the Sparrowhawks on Wednesday.
Head-to-Head:
Matches – 5
Algeria wins – 3
Liberia wins – 0
Draws – 2
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