Zambia v Algeria: Futsal AFCON qualification at stake in decisive group finale

Algeria must beat Zambia on Friday, 16 October, to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations 2026 alive.

The Group A match will kick off at 20:00 Algeria time and 20:00 in Morocco, with the venue being the Ibn Yassine Hall in Rabat. In France, the start time is 21:00.

The fixture will be shown on Moroccan channel Arryadia and on CAF TV, the official YouTube channel of the Confederation of African Football, subject to geographical broadcasting restrictions.

Algeria are appearing at the final tournament for the first time and have yet to claim their first victory in the competition. They began with a 4-0 defeat by hosts Morocco, the three-time defending champions, before earning a historic 2-2 draw against Libya on Wednesday.

The Fennecs rescued that point with two goals in the closing minutes of the match.

That result leaves Algeria fourth in Group A with one point, behind Zambia on three points and Libya on one. Morocco top the section with six points and have already secured their place in the semi-finals.

The race for the second qualifying position remains open. Zambia moved into contention by beating Libya 3-1, but then suffered a heavy 7-0 defeat against Morocco. They take a one-point advantage over both Algeria and Libya into the final round of group matches.

Algeria’s route to the last four is clear but demanding. They have to defeat Zambia and will also be watching the outcome of the other Group A game, in which Morocco face Libya at the same time.

A victory would take Algeria above Zambia in the standings, but it would not necessarily guarantee qualification. If Libya also beat Morocco, CAF’s tiebreaking criteria could be required to determine which team finishes second.

The match therefore offers Algeria the chance to secure the first win in the history of their appearances at the final stage of the competition, while potentially reaching the semi-finals at their first attempt.

Morocco’s meeting with Libya is scheduled to begin simultaneously, ensuring that the final Group A positions will be settled on the last day.