Adil Boulbina said his dramatic late goal was all about Algeria and its people, not personal glory, after firing his country into the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals.
“First of all, thank God. Congratulations to Algeria and to the fans. I came onto the pitch late and score but it is a collective effort and not about me. It is a great feeling for the team,” the TotalEnergies Man of the Match said, his words matching the emotion that swept through Rabat.
Sent on in extra time with penalties looming, the young forward needed just five minutes to change everything, cutting in from the right in the 118th minute and curling a stunning shot beyond the outstanding Lionel Mpasi-Nzau.
His strike finally broke DR Congo’s resistance after a tense 1–0 battle in which both sides had missed chances and Mpasi-Nzau had repeatedly frustrated Algeria.
The goal sparked wild celebrations among teammates and fans, and pushed Les Fennecs into a heavyweight quarter-final against Nigeria in Marrakesh as their chase for another continental crown gathers pace.
