Algeria set for Niger test as Hemdani and Yahia begin new era

Algeria will host Niger in a friendly at Tizi Ouzou on 6 October, completing a third fixture during an extended September-October international window.

The match, confirmed by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), will follow the opening two games of Algeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Fennecs will begin their schedule against Zambia on 25 September before travelling to Bujumbura to face Burundi four days later.

The Zambia match will take place at 20:00 local time at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou. Algeria will then meet Burundi at 14:00 on 29 September.

After returning home, the squad will remain together for the friendly against Niger. That match is scheduled for Tuesday, 6 October, at 20:30, again at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium.

The fixture was announced after the FAF’s Federal Bureau also confirmed the make-up of the national team’s new technical staff. The current FIFA international window is unusually long, extending beyond two weeks and giving national teams greater scope to arrange additional matches.

Algeria had considered several other opponents for the extra fixture, including Mali and Chad, but ultimately selected Niger.

The game will give new coaches Ibrahim Hemdani and Anthar Yahia an opportunity to continue assessing their squad and working on their early tactical plans. It will also provide valuable playing time to a group that could undergo several changes after the 2026 World Cup.

More immediately, the friendly is intended to prepare Algeria for the next stage of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in November. Their schedule is set to include a meeting with Togo, followed by another match against Zambia.

Niger are familiar opponents for Algeria. The two sides last met on 27 March 2023 in qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Algeria won 1-0 in Rades, Tunisia, with Baghdad Bounedjah scoring an early goal.

The neighbouring countries have faced one another nine times in all competitions. Algeria have dominated the fixture, recording eight victories compared with one defeat.

For Hemdani and Yahia, the Niger match will therefore offer a first opportunity to experiment without points at stake, after two important competitive fixtures at the start of their tenure.

The Algeria-Niger friendly will also form part of a demanding period for the Fennecs, who must balance their initial qualification commitments with preparations for the November matches. The extended international window has allowed the FAF to add the fixture without changing the dates already set for the Zambia and Burundi games.

Algeria’s opening home match in Tizi Ouzou will come at the start of the campaign, while the trip to Burundi will be followed by the return to the same stadium for the additional meeting with Niger. 全民彩票天天