By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
…Sets up Quarterfinal against Nigeria on January 10 at 5.00pm. . .
World cup bound Leopards of Democratic Republic were on Tuesday night in Rabat painfully ousted by the Desert Warriors of Algeria in just sixty seconds away from close of extra time by a sensational teenager.
Ai Duhail 22 year old Striker, Adil Boulbina who came for Midfielder Fares Chaibi in the 113rd minute got a parabola of a pass from Ramiz Zerrouki and curved it beyond redemption of any Congolese player into the net at 119 minutes for the coveted goal that pushed the Desert Warriors into the quarterfinal.
Fate and the god of football must have chosen Boulbina for glory from the time the coach took a stern look at him and got him into the field of play. Playing only six minutes in the game, he was named PLAYER OF THE MATCH and was mobbed by the entire players of Algeria both those on the field of play and those from the bench that anyone who knows the Egyptian pyramid would think Boulbina would suffocate under the pile that also look like the stone pile that killed Achan in the Bible. It is doubtful whether the overflowing joy would allow him take his late dinner.
It was not surprising that Algeria won because in football stats does not lie as Algeria had 13-6 shots at goal with 7-2 on target and a 52-48% ball possession. The match saw41 foul calls in 17-24 against Congo but Algeria had 3-2 yellow cards while Congo did not utilize her 6-4 corner kick advantage.
It is coincidental that South Africa that is world cup bound like Congo and were above Nigeria in the world cup group log are now out of AFCON. Algeria now faces a waiting Nigeria in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 5pm in Marrakesh. Nigeria waits to retaliate how Algeria dealt with them in 2019.
To get into the round of 16 games, Algeria won all their group matches with two clean slates stalling Sudan 3-0; piped Burkina Faso 1-0 and sent out Equatorial Guinea 3-1 while DR Congo only won two of their three group matches beating Benin by a lone goal; played 1-1 draw with Senegal and finished of Botswana 3-0.
Both teams hardly meets as they met four times with Algeria winning two of the matches, DR Congo won one and there was a draw from where 9 goals were scored 7 from Algeria. The highest score was the 3-0 win of Algeria in an International Friendly played on 9th August 2023. The only win of DR Congo was a lone goal victory of 6th March 2008.
The Desert Warriors of Algeria ranked 34 has been two times champions in 1990 and 2019, won Silver in Lagos Nigeria in 1980; won bronze twice in 1984 and 1988 as well as placed 4th twice.
The Leopards of Democratic Republic of Congo were playing as Congo Kinshasa when they won their first title in 1968 Ethiopia and won again in 1974. They bagged two bronze medals in 1998 and 2015 and placed 4th at the last AFCON edition.
Already six teams have qualified for the quarterfinals, and the fixtures will be as follows
Mali vs Senegal at 5.00pm on Friday 9th January.
Cameroon vs Morocco at 8.00pm on Friday 9th January,
Nigeria vs Algeria at 5.00pm on Saturday 10th January.
Egypt vs Winner CIV/BFA at 8.00pm on Saturday 10th January.
#AFCON25 #CAF #FRMF #FMF #SAFA
#FEBEFOOT #TFF#FECAFOOT #SFA
#FAFA #EFA #NFF.
