Playing away at the Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou, Togo delivered a resilient performance against Algeria on Matchday 3 of Group I in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Despite holding their opponents at bay for most of the encounter, the Sparrowhawks eventually suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat.
Tactically well-organized under the guidance of Patrice Neveu, the Togolese defense anchored by Djene Dakonam and Lilian Brassier managed to contain the Fennecs repeated attacks throughout the first half and much of the second, repelling offensive thrusts led by Amine Gouiri and Mohammed Amoura.
Spurred on by a passionate crowd, the Algerians finally found a way through just as the final quarter of an hour began.
In the 76th minute, captain Ramy Bensebaïni managed to break through the Togolese defense by scoring the game’s only goal, set up perfectly by Anis Hadj Moussa.
This decisive turning point rewarded the Greens clear territorial dominance (73% possession) and punished the efforts of a Togolese team that eventually broke down physically and mentally after giving the group leader a run for its money.
Despite this frustrating but logical defeat given the nature of the match, the Éperviers will need to quickly turn the page and regroup.
The schedule, in fact, offers Patrice Neveu’s men an immediate opportunity to bounce back, as they will face Algeria again in the second leg scheduled for November 17 at Kegue Stadium in Lome,
