Hocine Ait Ahmed stadium in frame for Algeria’s 2027 Afcon opener

Algeria are expected to begin their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaign at the Hocine Ait Ahmed stadium in Tizi Ouzou, with the venue reportedly selected by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) to host the home match against Zambia.

The Fennecs are due to open their qualifying campaign at home in September, as they seek a place at the tournament which will be staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from 19 June to 17 July 2027.

According to winwin, the FAF has favoured the Hocine Ait Ahmed stadium for the visit of Zambia. The decision has not been formally confirmed, but a return to Tizi Ouzou would give Algeria the benefit of a venue where they have enjoyed an unbeaten record since Vladimir Petkovic became head coach.

Algeria have played there four times during Petkovic’s tenure and won all four matches. They have scored 15 goals and conceded four in those games, establishing the stadium as a particularly productive home ground for the national team.

Their run began in November 2024, when they defeated Liberia 5-1 in the final round of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The sequence continued during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, with Algeria beating Mozambique 5-1 in March 2025, Botswana 3-1 in September 2025 and Uganda 2-1 in October 2025.

The proposed venue also comes against the backdrop of earlier speculation that Algeria’s football authorities could move the team’s matches back to Algiers. Those reports suggested the change might be intended to increase pressure on Petkovic and bring an end to his time in charge.

However, the apparent reconciliation between the coach and the federation is understood to have ended that possibility. Petkovic is expected to continue as Algeria manager, although he is also expected to agree to changes to his coaching staff.

The Algerians will face Zambia, Togo and Burundi in Group I of the qualifying competition. Their first home fixture, against Zambia, is therefore set to be an important opening step in their bid to reach the 2027 tournament.

For now, the choice of the Hocine Ait Ahmed stadium remains reported rather than officially announced. If the FAF confirms the decision, Algeria will return to a ground that has provided four victories from four matches under Petkovic, with an impressive margin of 15 goals scored and only four conceded.