Riyad Mahrez produced a captain’s performance as Algeria sealed their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 3–0 victory over Somalia on Thursday, becoming the fourth African nation to book a ticket to the global showpiece.
The Desert Foxes started brightly in Oran, with Mahrez delivering a precise cross for Mohamed Amoura to volley home inside the opening minutes. The former Manchester City and Leicester City star then doubled Algeria’s lead in the 19th minute, firing in a superb half-volley.
The Algerian skipper continued to torment Somalia’s defence after the restart, dribbling past his marker before setting up Amoura for his second goal and Algeria’s third 12 minutes into the second half. Both players were later substituted to a rousing ovation from the home crowd.
Youcef Belaili nearly added a fourth, but the final whistle confirmed a comfortable victory for Vladimir Petković’s men, who are guaranteed top spot in Group G with a game to spare. Algeria will return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when they famously pushed eventual champions Germany to extra time in the round of 16.
The fixture, officially a home game for Somalia, was relocated to Algeria due to the Ocean Stars’ lack of a suitable stadium.
Mahrez and his teammates now join Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt as Africa’s confirmed representatives for the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America.
Meanwhile, Luca Zidane — son of French legend Zinedine Zidane — remained on the bench after recently switching allegiance from France to Algeria. “My family is proud of my decision. My grandfather is especially happy to see me represent Algeria,” the 27-year-old goalkeeper said before the match.
Elsewhere in Group G, Uganda strengthened their grip on second place with a 1–0 win over Botswana courtesy of Jude Ssemugabi’s header, while Mozambique slipped to a 2–1 home defeat against Guinea. Uganda now hold a three-point and ten-goal advantage over Mozambique heading into the final round.
In Group H, Liberia kept their qualification hopes alive with a 3–1 win against Namibia in Paynesville. Early goals from Ayouba Kosiah and Mamadu Bah put the Lone Stars in control before Edward Ledlum added a stunning third. David Ndeunyema netted a late consolation for Namibia, who remain second with 15 points — just one ahead of Liberia.
Namibia will face already-qualified Tunisia on Monday, while Liberia travel to Equatorial Guinea, whose preparations have been disrupted by the suspension of coach Juan Micha following a travel dispute. Assistant coach Casto Nopo will lead the team for the decisive fixture.
The penultimate round of Africa’s qualifiers concludes on Friday, with Senegal and Ivory Coast both on the brink of sealing their World Cup berths if results go their way.
