Algeria and Uganda will get their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign under way when they lock horns at Oran Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening with kickoff at 22:00.
Algeria had a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign earlier this year, getting themselves eliminated in the group stages after finishing bottom of Group E behind Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.
That was then followed with another disappointment of not qualifying for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar after losing to Cameroon in the playoffs back in march. They will now be looking to bounce back and put all that behind them.
The fennec Foxes are two-time champions of the competitions and have participated in the last five tournaments. They will be looking to extend that streak next year, and they will fancy their chances having been drawn in fairly less-challenging Group F alongside Niger, Tanzania and their Saturday visitors Uganda.
Meanwhile Uganda failed to qualify to last year’s edition after finishing third in their group behind Burkina Faso and Malawi, with just two points from six games.
Uganda Cranes also failed to make a World Cup debut after finishing second behind Mali in Group E. They will be looking to put that behind them as they seek to go through this time around.
They will want to start positively and they can give the favorites a run for their money, although Algeria just about enough quality to edge Uganda.
Algeria and Uganda head to head
This will be the first meeting between these two.
Home
- Algeria 1-2 Cameroon
- Cameroon 0-1 Algeria
- Ivory Coast 3-1 Algeria
- Algeria 0-1 Equatorial Guinea
- Algeria 0-0 Sierra Leone
Away
- Uzbekistan 4-2 Uganda
- Uganda 5-4 Tajikistan (AP)
- Bahrain 3-1 Uganda
- Moldova 2-3 Uganda
- Iceland 1-1 Uganda
Algeria team news
Algeria will be without their main man Riyad Mahrez due to injury.
Uganda team news
Aliro Moses, Denis Otim, Yiga Najib and Mato Rogers are unavailable for Uganda.
Prediction and odds
- Algeria win
- Both sides to score (No)
- Goals under 2.5
