Algeria will square off against Angola at the Stade Bouaké in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign opener on Monday.
Algeria won their second title in 2019 but had a poor outing in their title defense in the 2021 edition, as they were eliminated from the group stage, finishing at the bottom of the Group E standings.
Angola did not qualify for the previous edition and will look to at least qualify for the knockout stage here. They have been eliminated from the group stage in their previous three appearances in the competitions and will look to leave a better account of themselves here.
The 2019 champions head into their campaign opener in great form, recording four wins on the trot. In their friendly against Burundi earlier this week, they registered a 4-0 win. Baghdad Bounedjah, Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani, and Mohamed Amoura were on the scoresheet and will look to continue their form here.
Angola have drawn their last five games in a row, with four ending goalless. They played Congo DR in a friendly last week, which ended in a goalless draw, and will look to build on the defensive form.
Algeria vs Angola Head-to-Head
The two teams have crossed paths nine times across all competitions, meeting just once in the AFCON. They have contested these games closely, with Algeria having a narrow 2-1 lead in wins and six games ending in draws.They met in the group stage of the 2010 AFCON, which ended in a goalless draw.Angola are winless in their last six games in the AFCON, scoring just twice while conceding six goals in that period.Five of the nine meetings between the two teams have produced fewer than 2.5 goals, with three games ending in goalless draws.
