Beaten 3-1 by Algeria, Zambia’s coach reacts!

25.09.26 FT AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

Algeria

3

:

Zambia

1

After equalising, Zambia quickly lost its footing against the Fennecs, a scenario that George Lwandamina acknowledged after the match.

Zambia had hoped to make a strong start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, but the Chipolopolos ultimately left Tizi Ouzou with a 3-1 defeat to Algeria. Arriving with the ambition of “writing history”, George Lwandamina’s side never really managed to impose their rhythm.

Having fallen behind early after Jaouen Hadjam opened the scoring, Zambia nevertheless found the resources to draw level in the second half. That equaliser briefly breathed new life into the match, before Algeria immediately regained control.

Maza turns the match around

Ibrahim Maza was once again at the heart of Algeria’s play. Highly active in organising the team, the young midfielder restored his side’s lead with a left-footed strike after combining with Mohamed Amoura. A few minutes later, he was involved in the third goal as well, setting up Anis Hadj Moussa with a backheel.

The substitute winger then beat his defender before curling his shot into the net to make it 3-1. The head-to-head record between Algeria and Zambia had nevertheless suggested a potentially tight contest, but Algeria knew how to step up at the decisive moment.

“My players were paralysed and eventually cracked”

After the match, George Lwandamina made no attempt to hide his disappointment. “My players were paralysed after the 2-1 goal and eventually cracked,” the Zambia coach admitted.

The statement sums up the second half fairly well. After managing to get back into the match, the Chipolopolos gradually lost their bearings. Their physical impact, visible in the final minutes, was not enough to slow down an Algeria side that was more incisive in the decisive areas.

Zambia already under pressure

This defeat now forces Zambia to react quickly in a group where Algeria have taken top spot with three points and a goal difference of +2. For Lwandamina, the main challenge will be to get his team back on track after an opening match in which the outcome slipped away from them within a few minutes.

Read also: Algeria - Zambia: The Fennecs win 3-1 and move top of the group

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations