Vladimir Petkovic praised his Algeria side for a controlled, professional performance after their dramatic extra-time victory over DR Congo sent them into the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals.
“I believe we deserved to win based on what our players delivered, and I thank them for that,” said the Algeria coach, stressing how his team stayed patient in a tense knockout battle in Rabat.
He highlighted that Algeria “controlled two-thirds of the match and played good football,” even as DR Congo threatened on the counter and pushed the contest towards penalties. Petkovic underlined the collective effort, noting that his side “played well as a group, dominated the match, overcame difficulties, scored a goal and managed to win and qualify.”
The decisive moment arrived in the 118th minute when substitute Adil Boulbina cut inside from the right and curled in a stunning winner, just minutes after coming off the bench.
Petkovic described the display as a professionally managed game, insisting that getting over the line was crucial, before turning his attention to the looming quarter-final against Nigeria in Marrakesh.
