On paper, the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) between Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo offered the promise of a balanced poster. And the fight was indeed tough, the fate of the match having been decided not at its end, but at the end of overtime (1-0), Tuesday January 6, at the Prince Moulay Al-Hassan stadium (Rabat). Thanks to a goal scored by the usual substitute Adil Boulbina, in the last moments of the match (119e), the Fennecs have thus won their qualifying ticket for the quarter-finals of the competition, where they will face Nigeria on January 10.
More enterprising than their opponents in the first period, captain Riyad Mahrez’s teammates did not, however, prove particularly dangerous. The fault, in particular, lies in a Congolese defense made compact by the presence of three central defenders, but also in the lack of offensive realism of the Algerian attackers. The Leopards, for their part, often went on the counterattack, and created several clear chances, mainly through Cédric Bakambu, their most experienced center forward.
Despite a renewed form in the second half, and better intentions in the game, the Congolese, semi-finalists of the last edition of the CAN, in turn came up against a solid defensive line. While fatigue was visibly accumulating in both camps, the spectacle was then put aside for a restrained pace of play, letting the match lose all its intensity.
Once in overtime, the Algerians, overwhelmed by the challenge, increased their attempts, consecutively coming up against the Leopards goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi, author of several saves. But before the penalty shootout which seemed to be promised, the fate of the match was finally sealed by Adil Boulbina, who entered the game late (113e), transformed into the savior of the Fennecs. Served on the left wing by Ramiz Zerrouki – who entered at the same time – the 22-year-old striker did not hesitate to take his chance from distance, curling an unstoppable shot into the Congolese top corner. A winning move signed by Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria coach, which allowed the Fennecs to reach the quarter-finals of the CAN for the first time since 2019, the year of their last final success in the competition.
Ivory Coast continues its journey
In the evening, Tuesday, the last round of 16 of the African competition pitted Ivory Coast against Burkina Faso. The title holders did not tremble for long and won 3-0 against Brama Traoré’s players.
The Ivorians took the lead from the 20the minute of play thanks to a goal from Amad Diallo Traoré, before Yan Diomandé doubled the lead (2-0, 32e). The young 19-year-old striker Bazoumana Touré allowed the Ivorians to take a definitive lead by scoring the third goal (3-0, 87e).
The only downside was that the Ivorian coach, Emerse Faé, saw his central defender Odilon Kossounou leave with an injury at the end of the match. While they can still dream of a double, their players will face Mohamed Salah’s Egypt on Saturday evening at 8 p.m.
