Algeria maintain unbeaten Africa Cup of Nations run as Rami Bensebaini seals Togo win

Algeria extended their unbeaten record in 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying with a 1-0 victory over Togo on Saturday.

Rami Bensebaini scored the only goal in the 76th minute at Hussein Ait Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou, giving the hosts three important points in the third round of Group A fixtures.

The result leaves Algeria top of the group with seven points from three matches. They began their campaign with a 3-1 win over Zambia before drawing 2-2 with Burundi and then overcoming Togo.

Zambia are second on four points, followed by Togo on three and Burundi on two.

Bensebaini’s goal was particularly significant for the Borussia Dortmund defender. It was his fourth against Togo during his professional career, making the national side his joint-most productive opponent alongside Bayern Munich, according to the French network Stats Foot.

Algeria have now gone 23 consecutive matches without defeat in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, recording 17 wins and six draws during that run.

Their most recent defeat in the competition’s qualifiers came on 16 October 2018, when they lost 1-0 to Benin. That match was part of the qualification campaign for the 2019 edition, after which Algeria began their current unbeaten sequence across several editions of the tournament.

The run has included qualification for the finals on multiple occasions and Algeria’s triumph at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The victory also continued an impressive start for Ibrahim Hamdani, who has recorded three wins and one draw in his first four matches in charge of Algeria.

Hamdani began with the 3-1 victory against Zambia, followed that with the draw against Burundi, then saw his side beat Niger in a friendly before Saturday’s win over Togo.

It is the best start by an Algeria manager since Christian Gourcuff won his first four matches in charge in 2014.

Hamdani took over in September, replacing Vladimir Petkovic after Algeria were eliminated by Switzerland in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup. He has since begun reshaping the squad by introducing several new players while retaining a number of established members of the team.

Algeria and Togo will meet again on Tuesday, 17 November, when the fourth round of qualifying takes place in Lome.