Algeria seek their first win at this year's Africa Cup of Nations when they take on Burkina Faso at Stade de la Paix on Saturday.
Victory for the Fennecs would see them supplant their opponents, who lead Group D after the first round of fixtures.
Djamel Belmadi must still be disappointed with his side's inability to see out their first-half advantage against Angola before playing out a 1-1 draw in their opening game of the group.
Baghdad Bounedjah put the 2019 champions ahead and would have doubled the North African side's advantage with an impressive acrobatic effort but saw the strike ruled out for offside.
The Fennecs' high level dipped after half time, allowing Angola back into the game long before conceding the 68th-minute leveller for the eventual draw, despite rallying late on to find another goal in the closing minutes.
Having exited at the group stage at the last Cup of Nations, Belmadi's men face a tricky encounter against a side that could pose more problems than the Angolans did in round one.
Securing maximum points does not assure the North African side of a spot among the top two, even if it all but confirms participation in the round of 16 with four third-placed sides also progressing.
Algeria are not expected to be as combative as Mauritania were, possibly giving Burkina Faso a different type of game to deal with this weekend.
Having made it to the semis at AFCONs 2017 and 2021, Hubert Velud's team need a point to effectively be assured of continued participation at this year's continental showpiece.
Securing maximum points ends Burkina Faso's three-game winless run against Algeria and seals qualification to the next round, even if it remains to be seen if the 2013 runners-up halt that run at the fourth time of asking.
The promising shot-stopper has completed his move to the Danish top-flight outfit in this ongoing January transfer window
The Black Stars, led by Mohammed Kudus, took the lead on two occasions, but each time they were unable to maintain their advantage, with Omar Marmoush and Mohammed Mostafa scoring for the Pharaohs to level the game. With these results, Ghana's national team remains without a victory in their first two matches of the ongoing AFCON 2024. To have a chance of progressing to the knockout phase, they must secure a win in their upcoming match against Mozambique.
Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has explained his decision to take off Osman Bukari few minutes after his introduction in their pulsating 2-2 draw against Egypt in the second group matches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The second round of games in Group B continues on Friday afternoon with Cape Verde taking on Mozambique in another epic clash at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium.
Head coach of the Black Stars, Chris Hughton has expressed dissatisfaction after their game against Egypt and feels they deserved better in the game.
