Substitute Adil Boulbina’s sensational strike in the 118th minute in the last-16 encounter against DR Congo, sent Algeria into the quarter final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Rabat.
With this win, Algeria will now face Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the quarter finals in Marrakesh on Saturday.
The game seemed to be headed to penalties in a goalless stalemate after 90 minutes and the additional 30 minutes of extra time, but Boulbina, who had come on in the 113th minute for Fares Chaibi had the final say in sublime fashion.
The Al Duhail forward cut in to the right to step away from his marker before curling a beauty of a strike past keeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau who had done well to keep his side in the game.
The game was forced into extra time after the regular 90 saw both sides fail to find the back of the net in a tightly, yet fiercely contested fixture.
Before the encounter last night, former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, now an analyst with Supersports said he would prefer a quarter-final because “they would be softer to play than DR Congo who would be more physical”.
For many Nigerians, it would be an opportunity to avenge the 2-1 semi final loss the Super Eagles suffered at the 2019 AFCON in Cairo, Egypt when Akpeyi was beaten by a Riyad Mahrez freekick to give the Algerians their second AFCON victory
