The Algerian national football team secured their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals on Thursday evening, returning to the tournament after missing the last two editions.

The “Greens” won 3-0 against Somalia at the “Miloud Hadefi” stadium in Oran during the ninth and penultimate round of World Cup qualifiers. The match was officiated by a Malawian referee team led by Godfrey Philip Nkhakananga.

The Algerian players, coached by Vladimir Petković, started determined to qualify early. After just six minutes, forward Mohamed Amine Amoura scored the opening goal, followed by captain and winger Riyad Mahrez adding the second goal 13 minutes later.

Against a Somali team inexperienced in major international competitions, Algeria continued to dominate in the second half, with Amoura scoring his second goal in the 57th minute.

In the 85th minute, midfielder Hichem Boudaoui was substituted due to injury, replaced by forward Yacine Benzia. The “Desert Warriors” ended the match with a deserved victory and qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

In other matches of the same group played on Thursday, Uganda won away against Botswana (1-0), while Mozambique lost at home (1-2) to Guinea Conakry.

The current group standings are:
1- Algeria 22 points
2- Uganda 18 points
3- Mozambique 15 points
4- Guinea Conakry 14 points
5- Botswana 9 points
6- Somalia 1 point

Algeria secured their spot early for the 2026 World Cup, while Uganda and Mozambique will compete for the second ticket, which is awarded to the best second-placed team among the nine groups.

The “Desert Warriors” will participate in the World Cup for the fifth time, after Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, South Africa 2010, and Brazil 2014 editions.

In the final tenth round scheduled for next Tuesday, Algeria will face Uganda in Tizi Ouzou in a “formal” match for defender Aïssa Mandi’s teammates. Somalia will play Mozambique in Oran, and Botswana will face Guinea Conakry.