Brahim Hemdani identifies Algeria weaknesses despite Zambia win

Brahim Hemdani began his tenure as Algeria coach with a 3 1 victory over Zambia but warned that his side still have defensive issues to address.

The Fennecs secured three points in Tizi Ouzou on Friday to make a positive start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. However, Hemdani was not completely satisfied with what he saw from his team and believes there are areas that require improvement.

Algeria started strongly and took control of the match early on. Their advantage was later cancelled out by Zambia shortly after half time, exposing some of the problems Hemdani wants his players to correct.

“Defensively, we need to improve certain things. The goal we conceded was avoidable ,” the coach admitted.

The equaliser provided Zambia with a route back into the game, but Algeria responded quickly. The hosts restored their lead before adding a third goal through Hadj Moussa to secure victory.

Hemdani was pleased with the way his players reacted after Zambia levelled the score. Rather than allowing the setback to affect their performance, Algeria regained control and eventually finished the match with a two goal advantage.

“The players remained focused and we were able to regain the lead to finish quite logically ,” explained the coach.

The result gives Hemdani a winning start in his first official match in charge and puts Algeria on three points at the beginning of their qualifying campaign.

Despite the positive result, the coach knows there is little time to address the weaknesses he identified. Algeria’s next match comes against Burundi on Tuesday, leaving only a short period between the two fixtures.

Hemdani will also have to manage a squad affected by injuries as he prepares for the second match of the campaign. The availability of his players will therefore be an important consideration as he looks to make changes and maintain the team’s momentum.

The victory over Zambia provides Algeria with a strong start, but the performance also highlighted areas that need attention.

The defensive lapse that allowed Zambia to equalise is one of the issues Hemdani will want his team to eliminate. The coach has already acknowledged that such mistakes cannot be repeated if Algeria are to continue their qualifying campaign on a positive path.

For now, the Fennecs can take confidence from their three points and their response after conceding. Hemdani’s challenge will be to build on that performance while correcting the shortcomings exposed in Tizi Ouzou.

With Burundi next on Tuesday, the Algeria coach has little time to make those adjustments.