Published: September 10, 2024
MONROVIA — Liberia will face Algeria for the seventh time in history this Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville.
Kickoff for the game, which is the second in Group ‘E’ of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers, is set for 4 p.m. local time.
The Lone Star, having failed to win any of the previous six meetings between the two nations, will be aiming to break that trend and secure their first victory of the campaign. The Desert Foxes have won three and drawn three of their past encounters with Liberia but have never won a match in Monrovia.
On Friday, Liberia fought back to snatch a point against Togo when the two nations clashed at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé. Cercle Brugge striker Kevin Denkey broke the deadlock in the 78th minute to give Togo the lead, but William Gibson equalized with a 92nd-minute header, securing a share of the points.
A day earlier, Algeria defeated Equatorial Guinea 2-0 at home and now sits atop the table with three points.
Liberia is currently on a five-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, with three draws and two wins, including a 1-0 victory over São Tomé and Príncipe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In those qualifiers, Liberia sits third in Group H, three points behind leaders Tunisia.
Algeria, meanwhile, has secured three wins from their four World Cup qualifying matches in Group G, putting them at the top of the table, level on nine points with second-placed Mozambique, which holds the playoff spot.
Following Thursday’s win over Equatorial Guinea, Vladimir Petković’s men are now 15 matches unbeaten in AFCON qualifiers, with 11 wins and four draws since their last defeat, a 1-0 loss to Benin in October 2018.
Algeria’s captain Riyad Mahrez will miss the match due to injury, but Baghdad Bounedjah, who is one goal shy of Mahrez’s tally for the Greens, is expected to lead the attack alongside Saïd Benrahma. Houssem Aouar, Ismaël Bennacer, and Ramiz Zerrouki are likely to form the midfield trio.
Liberia’s coach Mario Marinica is expected to field a similar lineup to the one that faced Togo, with Peter Wilson, Terry Sackor, and captain Oscar Dorley leading the Lone Star’s attack. Kemoh Kamara, Natus Swen, and Viktoria Plzeň’s Sampson Dweh are likely to form the defensive trio.
Despite their home advantage, Marinica and his team will need to be at their best against Algeria, who remain unbeaten in their last six encounters with Liberia. The Desert Foxes boast the firepower to secure all three points, and they are widely tipped to do so against the Lone Star.
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