The Algerian national team hosts Botswana on Thursday evening starting at 8 PM at the Hussein Ait Ahmed Stadium, as part of the seventh round of Group 7 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The national team aims to secure early qualification and secure a spot in the World Cup after two consecutive disappointments.

The Greens top Group 7 with 15 points, three points ahead of second-placed Mozambique with 12 points, who will face a tough test against third-placed Uganda away. This gives an advantage to captain Riyad Mahrez’s teammates if they win tonight, taking a giant step towards the World Cup before facing Guinea next Monday, which could officially confirm the national team’s qualification if they win and Mozambique loses. A six-point gap would be enough to secure their place in the 2026 global event.

Today’s match is very important for the national team, as coach Vladimir Petkovic refuses to take Botswana lightly, who occupy third place in the group and is eager to win. This was reflected in the last training session, where, according to our sources, he relied heavily on the main lineup except for a few positions still undecided as of midday today, including the choice between Farès Chaïbi and Hicham Boudaoui to accompany Nabil Bentaleb in midfield, and the left flank between Youcef Belaïli, in his best form, and Amine Amoura, who recently recovered from injury.

Although some hinted that the coach might use a different lineup against Botswana and reserve the main players for the upcoming match against Guinea, our sources emphasized the importance of today’s match for Petkovic, who insists on avoiding surprises, especially since the three-point gap over Mozambique is not large, and any slip could complicate qualification calculations. Therefore, the coach cannot risk including new players whose technical value is not proven and who cannot perform the same tasks as the main players.

Today’s match will witness a record attendance of passionate fans, as tickets sold out quickly after being released on the “Digi-Tick” platform, indicating a strong presence of Algerian supporters at Hussein Ait Ahmed Stadium, which has become a favorite venue for Algerian fans due to the excellent conditions in which matches are organized, attracting families to attend national team games.

The players expressed their happiness to return to Tizi Ouzou and play there, with the team staff expressing their desire to make Hussein Ait Ahmed Stadium their new stronghold, considering the suitable conditions, from the beauty of the stadium to the pitch and the supportive fans, making Mahrez and his teammates prefer hosting opponents there. The Greens are expected to continue hosting their rivals at this stadium for the remainder of the World Cup qualifiers, including the last match against Uganda.

September is a decisive and penultimate stage in the World Cup qualifiers, which are less difficult and complicated than previous years due to the increase in the number of African qualifiers to nine or possibly ten if the best second-placed team wins the playoff.

Petkovic must manage the Botswana match while preparing physically and technically for the Guinea match. Overexerting tired or aging players in Tizi Ouzou, which might be an easy match, or risking players returning from injury is unacceptable. Therefore, Petkovic and his players aim to deliver a strong first half to end the match early and allow for five substitutions to prepare for the crucial Casablanca match against Guinea, potentially securing early qualification for the World Cup.

In goal, the coach will likely stick with Qendouz, who conceded a goal against Botswana due to a mistake but currently appears the best option. He will be supported by Youcef Atal at his peak form, and on the left side, Hacham, who has played and qualified for the Europa League, competes for a spot and could use the World Cup as a platform for promotion. In central defense, Ramy will start and may be substituted at halftime if the result is comfortable, alongside either Mandi, returning from injury with only five minutes played, or Ahmed Touba, who is thriving with a top Greek club.

In midfield, despite absences, the coach has options with the trio Boudaoui, Bentaleb, and Aouar, possibly substituting Aouar for Mazraoui, Kabbal from Paris, or Chaïbi.

Petkovic has praised the duo Boudaoui and Bentaleb on two separate occasions and may rely on them to energize a midfield still searching for a playmaker and scorer, potentially emerging from training sessions or the start of the season in the form of Kabbal.

In attack, Petkovic faces no difficulty as Botswana plays very naively with open play. Whatever players the coach chooses will not disappoint, but the most ready trio appears to be the one that won the African Cup of Nations six years ago: captain Mahrez, Belaïli, and Baghdad Bounedjah.