Algeria make it five wins from five in qualifying
Algeria maintained their 100 per cent record in Group F of qualifying after they recorded a comfortable 2-1 victory over Uganda at the Japoma Stadium in Douala on Sunday evening.
Djamel Belmadi’s side were in control from start to finish as a brace from Mohamed Amoura made it five wins from five in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with Fahad Bayo pulling one back for the Cranes at the death.
Uganda now have to collect maximum points from their final group game against Niger to stand a chance of reaching the continental showpiece for the eighth time and hope that Tanzania don’t cause an upset in Algeria.
Milutin Sredojevic’s troops needed a result on home soil after seeing the Taifa Stars beat the Menas 1-0 earlier on in the day to give themselves a three-point cushion in second place. Algeria were the only team with a perfect record in the qualifiers going into the fifth round of matches, having won their opening four fixtures to secure a ticket to Ivory Coast next year.
The visitors bossed proceedings in Cameroon, although they had to wait until the 13th minute for their first sight at goal as Amoura steered a header wide of the right post from Himad Abdelli’s cross.
Abdelli then looked to set up Ramy Bensebaini from a free-kick in the 20th minute, but the Borussia Monchengladbach left-back failed to direct his header on target before the action switched to the other end with Farouk Miya dragging a shot wide of the left post from the right side of the 18-yard area on 22 minutes.
Aziz Kayondo tried his luck from distance nine minutes later after being given room to shoot, only to see the ball drift to the left of the goal, while back up the other end Amoura did manage to work Salim Jamal with a strike from inside the box on 39 minutes.
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Miya tested Anthony Mandrea moments later after making contact with Kenneth Semakula’s cross inside the area, but instead the deadlock was broken at the opposite end on 42 minutes when Amoura beat Jamal after the goalkeeper had denied Haris Belkebla from range just a few seconds earlier.
The Fennec Foxes were quickly out of the blocks in the second half as Bensebaini drew a fine save out of Jamal with a long-range shot on 48 minutes before Mahious gave the keeper some more work to do moments later when he got his head on the end of Badredine Bouanani’s cross.
Emmanuel Okwi was presented with an opportunity to draw Uganda level on 64 minutes when they won a free-kick in a promising position outside the box, but the Erbil winger wasn’t able to get the ball back down after clearing the wall.
Algeria made them pay soon afterwards as Amoura struck again from inside the area after Riyad Mahrez released him through on goal to cap off a swift counter-attacking move.
Fred Gift should perhaps have done better when he headed high and wide from a corner in the 74th minute, although the Cranes gave their fans something to shout about two minutes from time as Bayo converted Richard Basangwa’s cross at close range.
Uganda (0) 1 (Bayo 88′)
Algeria (1) 2 (Amoura 42′, 66′)
Uganda: S. Jamal, K. Semakula, F. Gift, H. Lwaliwa, A. Kayondo, M. Karisa (R. Basangwa 57′), B. Byaruhanga (F. Bayo 46′), K. Aucho, R. Mato, E. Okwi (T. Mutyaba 68′), F. Miya (I. Mugulusi 67′).
Algeria: A. Mandrea, H. Loucif, Z. Belaid, R. Bensebaini, J. Hadjam, B. Bouanani (R. Mahrez 65′), O. Chita (N. Bentaleb 65′), H. Belkebla, M. Amoura (S. Benrahma 70′), H. Abdelli (H. Aouar 65′), A. Mahious (I. Slimani 70′).