Liberia had to come from behind to earn a point against Togo in their Group E opener at the Stade de Kegue.

With nothing separating the two sides going into the final 10 minutes, Cercle Brugge striker Kevin Denkey broke the deadlock to put Togo in front, but William Gibson's 92nd-minute header secured a share of the spoils.

Despite the result, head coach Mario Marinica will have been impressed by the spirit shown by his side, who recorded a 2-0 aggregate win over Djibouti in the preliminary round in March.

Liberia are now on a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions, recording three draws and two wins, including a 1-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where they sit third in Group H, three points behind leaders Tunisia.

Next up for the Lone Stars is a tough challenge against an opponent they have not beaten in the last six meetings between the two sides, losing three and drawing three since February 1999.

Algeria, meanwhile, began their quest for a place in Morocco on a high with a 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium on Thursday.

After Riyad Mahrez missed a 24th-minute penalty, former Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar broke the deadlock in the 69th minute before substitute Amine Gouiri sealed the result with a 95th-minute strike.

The result followed a 2-1 comeback win over Uganda in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Mandela National Stadium on 10 June, which ended the Greens' run of four consecutive matches without a win.

Algeria have taken three wins from their four games in Group G to move to the top of the standings and level on nine points with second-placed Mozambique in the play-off places.

Thursday's result extended Vladimir Petkovic's men's unbeaten run in AFCON qualifying to 15 matches, with 11 wins and four draws since a 1-0 defeat to Benin in October 2018.

Algeria, ranked 46th in the latest FIFA World Ranking, will now go in search of a third successive victory for the first time since June 2023 as they look to secure a sixth AFCON appearance since missing out in 2012.

It is worth noting that since winning the 2019 title, Algeria have failed to progress beyond the group stages of the continental showpiece, taking just one point from their three matches in 2021 and 2023.

Liberia possible starting lineup:

Koulibaly; Kamara, Swen Dweh; Teclar, Sangare, Kenneh, Freeman; Wilson, Sackor, Dorley

Algeria possible starting lineup:

Mandrea; Mandi, Tougai, Bensebaini, Hadjam; Bennacer, Zerrouki, Aouar; Mahrez, Benrahma, Bounedjah

Prediction:Liberia 0-2 Algeria

Liberia VS Algeria stream and TV listing

International：Holasports