Bensebaini’s late goal lifts Algeria to seventh point in 2027 qualifying

Algeria moved on to seven points in Group A of the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers after Rami Bensebaini’s 76th-minute goal secured a 1-0 victory over Togo on Saturday.

The Borussia Dortmund defender settled the match at Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou, heading or finishing the decisive moment source doesn’t specify method, so just “scored” to give the hosts an important three points in the third round of qualifying.

The result extended Algeria’s unbeaten start to the campaign and continued the strong beginning made by manager Ibrahim Hamdani.

Bensebaini’s goal also carried a personal significance. According to French data network Stats Foot, it was his fourth against Togo in professional football, making them his joint-most frequent opponents for goals alongside Bayern Munich.

Algeria began their Group A campaign with a 3-1 win over Zambia before drawing 2-2 with Burundi. Their latest success leaves them top of the section on seven points, with Zambia second on four. Togo have three points, while Burundi are bottom on two.

The victory also prolonged Algeria’s impressive record in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The North Africans have now gone 23 consecutive matches without defeat, recording 17 wins and six draws during that run.

Their last loss in qualifying came on 16 October 2018, when they were beaten 1-0 by Benin in the build-up to the 2019 tournament. Algeria subsequently maintained their positive sequence across several qualifying campaigns, reaching the finals on more than one occasion and winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019.

Hamdani has won three of his first four matches in charge, with one draw. His opening results have included a victory against Zambia, a draw with Burundi, a friendly win over Niger and the latest success against Togo.

That represents the best start by an Algeria manager since Christian Gourcuff won each of his first four matches in charge in 2014.

Hamdani took over in September, replacing Swiss manager Vladimir Petkovic after Algeria were eliminated by Switzerland in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup. He began the task of reshaping the squad by introducing several new players while retaining a core group of established members.

Algeria and Togo will meet again on Tuesday, 17 November, in the Togolese capital, Lome, in the fourth round of qualifying.