Substitute Adil Boulbina delivered a moment of brilliance deep into extra time as Algeria defeated a stubborn DR Congo side 1–0 in their Africa Cup of Nations round-of-16 clash on Monday night, sealing a dramatic passage into the quarter-finals.
The decisive goal arrived in the 119th minute, moments after Boulbina had been introduced. The 22-year-old latched onto a perfectly weighted pass down the left flank from fellow substitute Ramiz Zerrouki, surged past a tiring Aaron Wan-Bissaka, cut inside and unleashed a thunderous right-footed strike. The ball sailed over goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the net, igniting wild celebrations at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Algerian players swarmed their unlikely hero as DR Congo’s players slumped to the turf, devastated after holding the 2019 champions for almost two hours and appearing destined for a penalty shootout.
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The contest was a tense, closely fought affair with few clear openings. Algeria dominated possession early but struggled to break down a disciplined Congolese defence. Mohamed Amoura squandered the best chance of the second half, firing wide when well placed.
DR Congo carried their own threat on the counter. Cedric Bakambu forced a strong save from Luca Zidane with a powerful header and later sent another effort wide, while Fiston Mayele was denied at close range by a timely block from Zineddine Belaid.
Both goalkeepers were outstanding, with Mpasi producing five saves, including crucial interventions to deny Fares Chaibi and Baghdad Bounedjah during extra time. As fatigue crept in on both sides, it took a moment of individual quality from Boulbina to finally separate them, extending DR Congo’s winless competitive record against Algeria.
Watching from the stands was French football legend Zinedine Zidane, who saw his son Luca record a fourth clean sheet of the tournament. The 27-year-old goalkeeper, who opted to represent Algeria in honour of his heritage, has been a key figure in a defence that has conceded just once throughout the competition in Morocco.
Under coach Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria have built their AFCON campaign on defensive organisation and discipline, having topped their group with a perfect nine points before edging past DR Congo. Boulbina, who plays his club football with Al Duhail, was named Man of the Match, underlining the Desert Foxes’ depth.
Algeria will now face a daunting quarter-final showdown against free-scoring Nigeria in Marrakesh on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 4:00 pm GMT.