Algeria is fixed. Qualified for the round of 16 of CAN 2025 and already assured of finishing at the top of Group E even before their last match scheduled for this Wednesday, December 31 against Equatorial Guinea (5 p.m.), Riyad Mahrez and his partners now know the name of their future opponent.
To launch their knockout phase, the Fennecs will challenge the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday January 6, 2026 at the Stade Moulay El Hassan in Rabat, at 5 p.m. Far from being a gift, therefore, for Vladimir Petkovic’s men, who will find one of the fittest teams on the African continent.
Towards an obstacle course for Algeria?
The Leopards, who came second in Group D, are still undefeated since the start of the African Cup of Nations and have only been beaten on goal difference by Senegal. Qualified for the final of the FIFA intercontinental play-offs with a view to the 2026 World Cup, Sébastien Desabre’s troops proved their appetite for knife-edge matches during the African play-offs last November. Opposed to two giants of the continent, the Congolese took the scalps of Cameroon (0-1) and Nigeria (1-1 + 3-4 tab).
The last confrontation between Algeria and the DRC at the CAN dates back to the 2000 edition. In the group stage, the two nations parted with a goalless draw (0-0).
If the Greens manage to extricate themselves from this tricky round of 16, the rest of the competition promises to be just as explosive since a potential clash against Nigeria is possible in the quarter-finals. If we look even further ahead, a Maghreb derby against the host country and big favorite, Morocco, is even possible in the semi-finals.
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