On paper, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) round of 16 match between Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo promised a balanced contest. The struggle was indeed fierce, with the match’s outcome decided not in regular time, but in extra time (1-0), on Tuesday, January 6, at the Prince Moulay Al-Hassan Stadium in Rabat. Thanks to a goal scored by the usual substitute Adil Boulbina in the dying moments of the match (119th minute), the Fennecs secured their qualifying ticket for the tournament’s quarter-finals, where they will face Nigeria on January 10.
More enterprising than their opponents in the first half, the Algerian teammates were not particularly dangerous. This was due notably to a compact Congolese defense employing three central defenders, but also to a lack of offensive precision from the Algerian attackers. The Leopards, for their part, often played on the counter-attack and created several clear chances, mainly through their most experienced striker, Cédric Bakambu.
Despite an improved performance in the second half and better attacking intent, the Congolese, semi-finalists in the last AFCON edition, in turn ran into a solid defensive line. As fatigue became visibly apparent in both camps, the spectacle gave way to a cautious tempo, causing the match to lose all its intensity.
Once in extra time, the Algerians, lifted by the stakes, multiplied their attempts, repeatedly being denied by the Leopards’ goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi, who made several saves. But just before the penalty shootout that seemed inevitable, the match’s fate was finally sealed by Adil Boulbina, who came on late (113th minute) and turned into the Fennecs’ savior. Served on the left wing by Ramiz Zerrouki – who came on at the same time – the 22-year-old striker did not hesitate to take his chance from distance, curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner. A winning strike that sent the Fennecs to the AFCON quarter-finals for the first time since 2019, the year of their last triumph in the competition.
Ivory Coast Marches On
On Tuesday evening, the final round of 16 match of the African competition pitted Ivory Coast against Burkina Faso. The title holders did not falter for long and secured a 3-0 victory against Brama Traoré’s players.
The Ivorians took the lead in the 20th minute thanks to a goal from Amad Diallo Traoré, before Yan Diomandé doubled the advantage (2-0, 32nd). The 19-year-old striker Bazoumana Touré sealed the win for the Ivorians by scoring the third goal (3-0, 87th).
The only downside was Ivorian coach seeing his central defender Odilon Kossounou leave the pitch injured late in the match. While they can still dream of a double, his players will face Mohamed Salah’s Egypt on Saturday at 8 p.m.