Adil Boulbina came off the bench and needed only a few minutes to transform a tense knockout tie in Rabat.
With the match seemingly drifting towards penalties after a goalless 90 minutes and most of extra time, the Algerian forward produced a moment of quality in the 118th minute. Cutting in from the right, he curled a superb strike beyond Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, whose saves had frustrated Algeria all evening.
The goal finally separated two sides who had largely cancelled each other out in a physical, disciplined contest. Algeria had enjoyed long spells of possession without finding a way past DR Congo’s organised back line, while the Congolese threatened on the break through Cedric Bakambu and Fiston Mayele.
Mpasi-Nzau had earlier denied Fares Chaibi and Baghdad Bounedjah, underlining why Boulbina’s late winner and Man of the Match display felt so decisive.
Boulbina’s impact sparked wild celebrations among Algerian players and fans, underlining the importance of his contribution on a nervy night.
The victory sends Algeria into a quarter-final showdown with Nigeria in Marrakesh, as their push for a second AFCON title in six years gathers momentum.
For Boulbina, the Man of the Match award crowns a memorable evening that may yet prove a defining moment in Algeria’s AFCON 2025 campaign.
