Dramatic late Algeria winner sets up Nigeria quarterfinal at 2025 AFCON

Algeria bushed DR Congo successful other clip and volition look Nigeria connected Saturday successful the quarterfinals of football’s Africa Cup of Nations.

A thunderous onslaught by substitute Adil Boulbina heavy successful other clip settled a tense brushwood arsenic Algeria bushed the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 successful their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) last-16 tie.

The crippled astatine the Moulay El Hassan Stadium successful Rabat, Morocco connected Tuesday was edging towards a punishment shootout erstwhile Boulbina, a guardant who plays nine shot successful Qatar, was released connected the near successful the 119th infinitesimal and precocious into the country earlier unleashing a vicious onslaught into the net.

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The infinitesimal of magic sparked chaotic celebrations wrong the stadium, with the bulk of the 18,837 fans successful attendance backing Algeria.

The 2019 champions, who won each their radical games, are looking similar superior contenders to triumph a 3rd continental title, but present look a fascinating quarterfinal showdown with Victor Osimhen’s Nigeria successful Marrakesh connected Saturday.

The result is simply a achy 1 for the Congolese, who came into the AFCON with large ambitions and had been hoping to acceptable up different clash with Nigeria, having defeated the Super Eagles connected penalties successful a World Cup qualifying play-off successful November.

The Leopards volition present astatine slightest beryllium capable to console themselves with the information they person an intercontinental playoff to travel successful March, wherever a triumph against either New Caledonia oregon Jamaica volition spot them suffice for a archetypal World Cup since 1974.

Algeria, having already guaranteed a berth astatine the finals successful North America, stay focused for present connected going each the mode successful Morocco.

Algeria’s guardant Adil Boulbina scores his team’s archetypal extremity during the Africa Cup of Nations circular of 16 shot lucifer against DR Congo [Gabriel Bouys/AFP]

The lucifer itself, betwixt 2 of the continent’s starring nations, had the makings of the necktie of the circular but ne'er rather lived up to its billing.

There was a deficiency of prime successful the last 3rd from some sides contempt each the attacking endowment connected the pitch, with neither skipper Riyad Mahrez nor the thrilling Ibrahim Maza lasting 90 minutes for Vladimir Petkovic’s Algerian team.

Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe headed conscionable wide from a country for DR Congo and Maza fired narrowly past the extremity from the borderline of the container astatine the different extremity successful the archetypal half.

An Edo Kaymbe changeable fizzed successful from scope that forced a bully prevention from Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane was the closest either squad came successful the 2nd fractional arsenic the lucifer drifted to other time.

Algeria had been the much consistently threatening team, though, and began to crook the screw successful the other half-hour, with Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi redeeming good from Fares Chaibi and Baghdad Bounedjah successful speedy succession successful the 111th minute.

But a shootout appeared an inevitability until Ramiz Zerrouki and Boulbina, who some emerged from the seat unneurotic successful the 2nd fractional of other time, combined for the winning goal.

Zerrouki released Boulbina with a terrific walk successful behind, and the 22-year-old Al-Duhail subordinate did the rest.