Riyad Mahrez and Mohamed Amoura shine as Algeria seal World Cup return with convincing win over Somalia

Algeria sealed their return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2014 after comfortably defeating Somalia 3–0 at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Bir El Djir on Thursday evening.

The emphatic result secured the Desert Foxes’ place at the 2026 finals, maintaining their four-point lead at the summit of Group G and putting them beyond the reach of second-placed Uganda.

The qualification marks Algeria’s fifth appearance on football’s biggest stage, ending a 12-year absence.

Somalia, meanwhile, endured yet another disappointing outing.

The Ocean Stars remain bottom of the group with a solitary point after suffering their eighth defeat of the campaign.

Algeria wasted no time stamping their authority on the match, opening the scoring in the sixth minute.

Riyad Mahrez delivered a precise cross to the back post, where Mohamed Amoura met it with a firm header to put the hosts in front.

The home side continued their relentless pressure, with Baghdad Bounedjah narrowly missing a header just minutes later.

Algeria came close again in the 18th minute when Farès Chaïbi rattled the crossbar after a deflected ball fell invitingly inside the box.

Mahrez, who was already dictating play with his trademark composure, doubled Algeria’s lead in the 19th minute.

Chaïbi’s cross from the byline found the captain unmarked at the far post, and Mahrez made no mistake, drilling a powerful strike into the top corner to make it 2–0.

Ramy Bensebaini nearly added a third before the half-hour mark, but Somalia goalkeeper Abdirahman Mohamud Jama produced a fine save to deny the defender’s header.

Somalia’s only notable chance of the half came in the 38th minute, when Handwalla Bwana’s long-range attempt sailed over the bar.

Algeria remained in complete control after the interval and extended their advantage in the 57th minute.

Mahrez once again turned provider, delivering a curling cross that found Amoura, who rose above the defence to head home his second of the evening.

Coach Vladimir Petković used the comfortable lead to rotate his side, introducing Youcef Belaïli and Ibrahim Maza, both of whom looked lively off the bench.

Belaïli almost capped his cameo with a solo goal in the final moments but sent his shot just wide.

With qualification secured, Algeria can approach their final fixture against Uganda at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium on Tuesday without pressure.

Somalia, still seeking their first win, will face Mozambique in their last outing of the campaign.

Final Score: Somalia 0
Algeria (2) 3 — Amoura (6’, 57’), Mahrez (19’)

Somalia XI: 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 XI: 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’)

Algeria’s clinical display and attacking flair marked a fitting return to the world stage, reigniting dreams of another golden chapter in their footballing history.