Algeria kicked off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a solid 2-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea, while Tunisia narrowly defeated Madagascar 1-0 in a tense Thursday night of football in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
At the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran, Algeria delivered a commanding performance to claim all three points. The Desert Warriors, powered by goals from Houssem Aouar and Amine Gouiri, dominated large stretches of the match but were forced to wait until the second half to break through Equatorial Guinea’s resilient defense.
Algeria started the game with intensity, pressing Equatorial Guinea from the first whistle. Baghdad Bounedjah, Saïd Benrahma, and captain Riyad Mahrez were constant threats in attack, creating multiple chances. However, despite their early dominance, the home side struggled to find the back of the net.
In the 23rd minute, Algeria won a penalty after Bounedjah was brought down in the box, but Mahrez missed the opportunity, blasting his shot over the bar. Shortly after, Benrahma’s effort was denied by Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesús Lázaro, keeping the scoreline 0-0 at halftime.
The breakthrough finally came in the 69th minute when Mahrez’s powerful shot was parried by Lázaro, only for Aouar to head home the rebound, sending the Algerian fans into celebration. Amine Gouiri sealed the victory with a goal deep into stoppage time (90+5), ensuring Algeria began their AFCON 2025 journey with a vital win.
Meanwhile, Tunisia edged Madagascar 1-0 at the Rades Stadium in Tunis. In a match characterized by strong defenses and limited chances, the Carthage Eagles found their winner in the dying moments. Ferjani Sassi scored the decisive goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time, breaking Madagascar’s resilient backline to secure a crucial victory for Tunisia.
Both Algeria and Tunisia will now look to build on their opening wins as the AFCON 2025 qualifiers continue, setting themselves up for a promising campaign.
