Algeria booked a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations after edging past DR Congo 1–0 in a bruising Round of 16 encounter decided deep into extra time in Rabat.
Substitute Adil Boulbina delivered the decisive blow in the 118th minute, curling home a sublime strike to break Congolese resistance and send Algeria through to the last eight of the tournament in Morocco.
The contest appeared destined for penalties after 90 minutes of regulation time, and most of extra time failed to produce a goal. But Boulbina, introduced just five minutes earlier in place of Fares Chaibi, produced a moment of brilliance when it mattered most. The Al Duhail forward cut inside to shake off his marker before bending an unstoppable effort beyond goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, who had kept DR Congo in the game with a string of fine saves.
Algeria started the match on the front foot, dominating early possession and pinning DR Congo deep in their own half. Despite the pressure, clear chances were limited, and Mpasi-Nzau was rarely troubled in the opening exchanges.
DR Congo, however, looked more incisive on the counter. Cedric Bakambu went close in the 25th minute after breaking quickly, only for Luca Zidane to smother his low drive. From the resulting corner, Axel Tuanzebe rose highest but glanced his header just wide. Bakambu threatened again moments later, powering a header from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross narrowly past the post.
Just before half-time, Algeria nearly struck when Ibrahim Maza surged forward on the break, his low effort drifting agonisingly wide.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Algeria controlling possession and DR Congo posing danger on the break. Mohamed Amoura squandered a golden opportunity with 12 minutes remaining when he burst into the box but failed to apply enough curl, allowing Mpasi-Nzau to save comfortably. At the other end, Zineddine Belaid made a crucial defensive touch to deny Fiston Mayele from close range.
As the match rolled into extra time, fatigue set in, but the intensity rose. Mpasi-Nzau produced two outstanding saves in quick succession to deny Chaibi and Baghdad Bounedjah, seemingly steering the contest toward penalties.
Boulbina’s late intervention finally settled the tie, sparking wild celebrations among the Algerian supporters and heartbreak for the Congolese, who had matched their opponents stride for stride.
The victory sends Algeria into a high-stakes quarter-final against Nigeria, setting up one of the tournament’s most anticipated clashes, while Les Fennecs progress to the last eight for the first time since lifting the title in 2019.
