Algeria head coach Vladimir Petković praised his side’s composure and belief, while DR Congo’s Sébastien Desabre lamented missed moments, after a dramatic extra-time finish settled a cagey AFCON Morocco 2025 last-16 tie in Rabat.
“We managed the game professionally and stayed calm until the end,” Petković said. “The players believed in the plan, controlled large spells and waited for the right moment. Qualification was the priority, and we earned it.”
Desabre, though disappointed, found little fault with his team. “We matched Algeria tactically and physically,” he reflected. “In extra time there was a small breakdown, and at this level that is decisive. The players gave everything, but football can be cruel.”
That decisive moment arrived just two minutes from penalties. Introduced late, Adil Boulbina made an instant impact, drifting in from the right and bending a precise finish beyond Lionel Mpasi-Nzau to finally break the deadlock in the 118th minute and secure a 1–0 win for Algeria.
For long periods, the contest was defined by structure rather than flair. Algeria saw more of the ball and dictated territory, but found space hard to come by against a disciplined Congolese back line marshalled superbly by Mpasi-Nzau, whose reflexes frustrated wave after wave of green shirts.
DR Congo, meanwhile, were selective but dangerous on transition. Cédric Bakambu tested Luca Zidane before the break, and Axel Tuanzebe went close from a set piece, underlining that Algeria’s control came with constant risk.
The pattern barely shifted after the interval. Algeria probed patiently, DR Congo waited to strike, and clear chances remained scarce. Mohamed Amoura failed to capitalise late on, while Zineddine Belaid’s timely defending denied Fiston Mayele at the other end, keeping the tie on a knife edge.
Extra time raised the tempo but not the scoreline—until Boulbina’s moment of inspiration cut through the tension and sent Algerian supporters into celebration.
With the narrow victory, Les Fennecs march into the quarter-finals where a heavyweight clash with Nigeria awaits in Marrakesh, momentum restored and belief strengthened by a win forged through patience rather than spectacle.
