AFCON 2025 Heartbreak: Algeria Strike Late to Sink DR Congo and Delay Nigeria's Revenge

Algeria stunned DR Congo in their round of 16 encounter at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in a match played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.

The most recent significant encounter between Algeria and DR Congo before their AFCON clash was a 1-1 friendly draw in 2019.

However, at the AFCON, Algeria hold the upper hand with a 1-0 win in 1998 and a goalless draw in 2000.

Algeria entered the knockout stage as the tournament’s powerhouse, topping Group E with a perfect nine points and scoring seven goals while conceding only once.

On their part, DR Congo proved their resilience by finishing second in Group D, remaining unbeaten after a victory over Benin and a hard-fought draw against Senegal.

The match began with Algeria asserting dominance, pressing high and creating early chances. They nearly scored in the seventh minute, but the shot went wide. DR Congo responded with a few attempts of their own, but none were converted.

Luca Zidane, son of Zinedine Zidane, was called into action several times, making crucial saves to keep the game level. In the 20th minute, Algeria earned a corner, and though the shot was on target, it failed to find the net.

DR Congo countered in the 25th minute with a corner of their own. Cedric Bakambu came close, but his effort went wide.

By the 30th minute, both teams had created multiple chances, yet neither could break the deadlock. Zidane made another key save in the 39th minute.

Algeria came close again in the 42nd minute, but the ball narrowly missed. DR Congo earned a free kick just outside the box, yet Algeria’s defence successfully cleared the danger.

In the single minute of added time, neither side could make a decisive impact, even with Algeria awarded an untaken corner.

Coming out for the second half, both Algeria and DR Congo faced a challenging battle, each side eager to break the deadlock.

In the 48th minute, Algeria were forced into a substitution after Mohamed Amoura was injured in a tussle with Samuel Moutoussamy.

DR Congo shifted the momentum, showing bold and decisive play as they pushed for the lead. In the 56th minute, they came close again, but Algerian defenders held firm, resulting in a corner.

DR Congo also suffered an injury in the 62nd minute but quickly made a substitution to maintain their rhythm. A corner for DR Congo in the 71st minute failed to yield a goal, and Luca Zidane made a crucial save in the 73rd. Algeria nearly took the lead in the 77th minute, but the ball found no one in the penalty area.

DR Congo then used substitutions to inject fresh legs. Algeria threatened again in the 87th minute, including a rebound attempt, but still could not score. DR Congo had a final chance in the 90th minute, but Algeria’s defence held strong, keeping the score level.

With the match ending goalless, the contest went into extra time as the pressure intensified and both sides pushed to avoid a penalty shootout.

The first period produced no breakthrough, with fatigue evident and several players forced off with injuries. In the second period, Algeria turned up the pressure and came close on multiple occasions.

However, it was DR Congo who struck decisively, as Adil Boulbina found the back of the net just before the end of extra time to seal a 1–0 victory.