Afcon 2025: Boulbina’s late strike sends Algeria past DR Congo after extra time

Algeria edge a tight contest in Rabat

Adil Boulbina’s goal deep into extra time settled a hard-fought last-16 encounter against DR Congo, sending Algeria into the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. With the match in Rabat seemingly headed for a penalty shootout, the substitute produced a decisive moment in the 119th minute to make the difference in a game dominated by defensive organisation and limited clear chances.

The winning move began down Algeria’s left side, where fellow substitute Ramiz Zerrouki played Boulbina in behind. Boulbina outpaced a tiring Aaron Wan-Bissaka, cut back inside and unleashed a right-footed drive that whipped over goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and dropped in off the underside of the crossbar. It was the only goal of the match, and it proved enough to send Les Fennecs through.

The result extended DR Congo’s wait for a first win over Algeria, and it felt harsh on the Central Africans given how evenly the contest unfolded. DR Congo competed throughout and looked to have done enough to take the tie to penalties before Boulbina’s late intervention.

Few openings as defences stay on top

The match was played in a crackling atmosphere inside the Stade Moulay El Hassan, with the stands heavily dominated by Algeria’s green and white. The early stages were frequently interrupted by referee Mohamed Eid Mansour’s whistle as both sides competed hard, with the Egyptian official keeping his cards in his pocket despite a series of borderline challenges.

In a game of few chances, the first significant moment arrived around the 20-minute mark when former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba turned the ball just wide of his own post. The danger came from Rafik Belghali, who provided an energetic threat from full-back as he supported Riyad Mahrez down the right flank and drilled a delivery along the byline.

DR Congo responded soon after. Cedric Bakambu created an opening by winning a header on halfway against Ramy Bensebaini and breaking clear, but chose to shoot across goal rather than pick out a team-mate. Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane turned the effort behind for a corner, and from the resulting set-piece Axel Tuanzebe planted a header just wide.

Luca Zidane’s clean sheet run continues

France legend Zinedine Zidane was again in attendance to watch his son Luca keep a fourth clean sheet of the tournament for Algeria. As the match wore on, Algeria’s defensive structure remained a key feature, with the back line limiting DR Congo’s opportunities and ensuring the contest stayed on a knife edge.

That defensive resilience became even more important after Algeria suffered a blow early in the second half when midfielder Ismael Bennacer was forced off injured. From that point, both coaches made a steady stream of changes in search of a breakthrough.

Substitutions and saves shape the closing stages

Among Algeria’s changes was the removal of Mahrez, a four-time Premier League winner and his country’s record Afcon scorer with nine goals. His replacement, Anis Hadj Moussa—who had starred in Algeria’s 3-1 win against Equatorial Guinea—was unable to make a decisive impact, aside from one fizzing drive through a crowded penalty area that Mpasi saved with his body.

Mpasi also denied Mohamed Amoura, the top scorer in African World Cup qualifying, after the forward burst away from Mbemba but could not work the right angle for his shot. At the other end, Algeria needed a crucial defensive intervention to reach extra time: in the 91st minute, Zineddine Belaid produced a brilliant backpedalling header to deny Fiston Mayele what would have been a simple close-range chance.

As extra time ticked away and penalties looked increasingly inevitable, Mpasi made two good saves in quick succession, diving low to his right to keep out efforts from Fares Chaibi and then Baghdad Bounedjah. But he had no answer to Boulbina’s late strike, a finish described as worthy of winning any game.

What the win means for Algeria and DR Congo

Algeria’s progress continues a strong tournament after they emerged from the group stage with a 100% record. Their quarter-final opponents Nigeria also completed the group stage with a perfect record and arrived in the last eight after a 4-0 win over Mozambique, having scored 12 goals in total so far. Algeria and Nigeria are set to meet in Marrakesh on Saturday (16:00 GMT), with Algeria likely to rely again on their defensive stubbornness against free-scoring opposition.

For Algeria, the win offers further evidence that coach Vladimir Petkovic has found an effective balance. The Bosnian, who guided Switzerland to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, has overseen a side combining attacking guile with a miserly rearguard. After failing to make it out of their group at the past two editions of Afcon, the 2019 champions now have renewed momentum, driven on by passionate support in Morocco.

For DR Congo and their French coach Sebastien Desabre, the defeat ends hopes of Afcon glory after they finished fourth at the previous tournament in Ivory Coast. Despite the disappointment, the Congolese had come into this match with optimism about what could lie ahead in 2026. They have won African World Cup play-offs, seeing off Cameroon and Nigeria, and are one win away—against either Jamaica or New Caledonia in March’s intercontinental play-off—from reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they competed as Zaire.

Key moments

• 20th minute: Chancel Mbemba turns the ball just wide of his own post after a drilled delivery from Rafik Belghali.
• First half: Cedric Bakambu breaks clear but shoots across goal; Luca Zidane turns it behind, and Axel Tuanzebe heads just wide from the corner.
• Second half: Ismael Bennacer is forced off injured as both teams begin making changes.
• 91st minute: Zineddine Belaid’s defensive header denies Fiston Mayele a close-range chance.
• Extra time: Lionel Mpasi makes quick successive saves from Fares Chaibi and Baghdad Bounedjah.
• 119th minute: Adil Boulbina scores the winner after being played in by Ramiz Zerrouki.

In the end, a match that offered little margin for error was decided by one moment of quality. Algeria took it, and DR Congo were left to reflect on a performance that pushed the contest to the brink of penalties before Boulbina’s late, unstoppable finish.