Algeria begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Zambia on Friday, with the hosts expected to face a determined Chipolopolo side in Tizi Ouzou.
The Group I meeting will take place at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT.
Algeria are regarded as the favourites for the opening fixture, but Zambia will take confidence from their recent record against the North Africans.
The last five meetings between the two countries across Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifying have produced two wins for each side and one draw, highlighting the closely contested nature of the fixture.
Friday’s match will mark the start of the Group I qualifying campaign for both teams, with Algeria, Zambia, Togo and Burundi drawn together.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted in East Africa by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with qualifying matches scheduled to take place between September 2026 and March 2027.
For Zambia, the match represents the beginning of their latest attempt to reach the continental tournament.
The Chipolopolo are aiming to qualify for a third successive Africa Cup of Nations after missing out on the 2017, 2019 and 2021 editions.
Zambia are ranked 90th in the world by FIFA and are managed by Moses Sichone.
The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations winners will face a difficult opening assignment against an Algerian side that still possesses considerable quality despite a recent change in the coaching position.
Vladimir Petkovic has left his role as Algeria coach after guiding the team to the round of 32 at the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Algeria were eliminated from that tournament by Switzerland.
Despite the managerial change, the North Africans continue to have an impressive squad, with Adil Bourabaa and Mohamed Belloumi among the new additions mentioned ahead of the qualifying campaign.
The Algerians will now turn their attention to the opening match of their bid to reach the 2027 tournament.
Their home advantage will see them play Zambia at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou, where they will look to begin the qualifying campaign with a positive result.
Zambia, meanwhile, will be hoping their previous meetings with Algeria provide confidence as they attempt to negotiate a challenging group.
The Chipolopolo have already established a notable history against their opponents, with the five most recent encounters producing an even record between the two sides.
That record means Algeria cannot afford to overlook a Zambian team seeking another appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Group I campaign will run until March 2027, giving each of the four teams a series of opportunities to secure qualification.
For Algeria and Zambia, however, the immediate focus is on Friday’s opening fixture.
The match in Tizi Ouzou will provide the first indication of how both sides begin their journey towards the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with Algeria seeking to make home advantage count and Zambia looking to produce an early surprise.
