For Somalia, pride is all that's left on the line as they prepare for their penultimate World Cup qualifier against Algeria at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Complex on Thursday.
The Ocean Stars have long since seen their World Cup hopes sink, but Yusuf Ali Nur's men will be desperate to leave their mark by upsetting the Group G leaders. It's a tall order for the lowest-ranked side in the group, who have managed just one win in eight qualifying games, a record that lays bare their uphill battle on the world stage.
With only three goals scored and 16 conceded, Somalia's struggles have been glaring at both ends of the pitch. To make matters worse, their final "home" game in the campaign will be played away in Algeria, adding another layer of difficulty to an already daunting task.
Still, the Ocean Stars can draw a hint of encouragement from their opening-day clash with Algeria, when they showed spirit despite falling 3-1. That performance will serve as a small reminder that they're capable of causing discomfort to the North African giants, if they can hold their nerve.
Vladimir Petkovic's Algeria side are cruising toward yet another World Cup appearance. The Desert Foxes have dropped points just twice in eight matches, losing only once, a shock 2-1 defeat to Guinea on home soil. Since that blip, the Fennecs have found their stride again, amassing 13 of a possible 15 points and looking every bit the powerhouse expected to represent Africa on the grandest stage.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Somalia vs Algeria online - TV channels & live streams
 | ESPN Select | Watch here |
The match will be shown live on ESPN Select in the US. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
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Somalia vs Algeria kick-off time
The match will be played at the Miloud Hadefi Olympic Complex on Thursday, with kick-off at 12:00 pm ET for fans in the US.
Team news & squads
Somalia vs Algeria lineups
4-2-3-1
Formation
4-3-3
ALGSOM-Line up
SOMSubstitutes
Manager
Y. Ali Nur
ALG-Line up
ALGSubstitutes
Manager
V. Petkovic
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Somalia team news
For Somalia, Abel Gigli returns to the fold, while Minnesota United 2 youngster Abdi Nour could earn his first senior cap. The Ocean Stars have relied on scattered contributions from Yusuf Ahmed, Sak Hassan, and Ismail Shirwa, but the absence of a consistent goalscorer continues to haunt them.
Algeria team news
There's a touch of intrigue in Petkovic’s camp this week: Luca Zidane, son of French legend Zinedine Zidane, could make his long-awaited Algeria debut after earning his first call-up.
As always, Riyad Mahrez remains the poster boy of Algerian football, but it's Mohamed El Amine Amoura who has truly carried the torch in this qualifying campaign. The nimble forward leads the side with six goals and four assists, constantly tormenting defenders with his pace and precision. Close behind him is Baghdad Bounedjah, who's found the net three times, cementing his role as a reliable attacking threat for the Desert Warriors.
Form
SOM-Form
SOM- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 0/10
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 0/5
ALG-Form
ALG- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 5/3
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 1/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5
Head-to-Head Record
SOMLast match
ALG