How Boulbina's extra-time stunner led Algeria into AFCON 2025 quarter-final at DR Congo's expense | Retrui News | RetruiSports
How Boulbina's extra-time stunner led Algeria into AFCON 2025 quarter-final at DR Congo's expense
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Max Mathews and Nancy Froston
Algeria set up a quarter-final meeting with Nigeria after beating DR Congo in extra time
Algeria set up a quarter-final meeting with Nigeria after beating DR Congo in extra time
Max Mathews and Nancy Froston
January 6, 2026 at 4:28 PM EST
Getty Images
What it means for Algeria
Nigeria await in the last eight!
They will need to be better than they were tonight if they are to take down the finalists from two years ago.
But that is a problem for another day. First, celebrations.
Reasons to be proud
Applause from the DR Congo fans, who cheered their team until the very end.
Anyone in blue has reason to feel a bit shell-shocked by that finish.
Heartbreak for DR Congo
They held Algeria until the very last in a game that could really have gone either way.
Penalties were looming and after a pretty tame match for efforts on goal, it looked more likely this would be settled by a shoot-out.
In the end, they were undone.
Follow our live coverage of the last round of 16 tie!
After Algeria edged out DR Congo in the seventh and penultimate round of 16 tie at AFCON 2025, the eighth has just got under way.
Ivory Coast are facing Burkina Faso and it kicked off five minutes ago.
You can, and should, follow The Athletic's live coverage of that match here.
Boulbina the hero
That might take a minute to sink in for Adil Boulbina!
Player of the match...
That’s one way to wrap it up in pretty speedy fashion!
Boulbina is held aloft with his player of the match trophy after that winner.
The winning moment
And it was absolute bedlam both on the pitch and in the stands after that stunning strike from Boulbina!
After 119 minutes of fairly drab attacking football, I shared the excitement to see something of real quality settle this game.
...but will not have the chance of revenge
We had to wait 119 minutes for a moment of quality but that goal was an absolute screamer.
Algeria progress to face Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
Nigeria will be secretly gutted they have been denied a chance at revenge against DR Congo, who beat them in November's 2026 World Cup play-off final.
Nigeria know their quarter-final opponents...
Algeria will face Nigeria in a battle of the -geria suffixes in the last eight.
Mbemba and Desabre guiding away furious team-mates
One particularly frustrated DR Congo player is yelling at the referee.
The ref had nothing to do with their defeat, frankly.
Captain Chancel Mbemba and manager Sebastien Desabre gently guide the player away, sportingly.
Bashful Boulbina being tossed in the air
The Algerian players are throwing the hero Boulbina into the air.
He is taking cuddles and warm embraces from all his team-mates.
FULL TIME: Algeria 1-0 DR Congo
Algeria are into the quarter-finals!
Their entire squad is on the pitch!
DR Congo are absolutely distraught.
Two minutes added on
120+2' Algeria 1-0 DR Congo
And the first two are eaten up as Hadj Moussa is brought down and he rolls around a bit.
Algeria corner, Balikwisha wins it and Bounedjah is booked for a cynical trip from behind.
Seconds left, only. DR Congo prepare to pump it forward. Surely not...
How Boulbina sent his country into the quarter-final
120' Algeria 1-0 DR Congo
Goodness gracious, what a goal. What a strike and what a moment for the 22-year-old hero, Adil Boulbina.
GOAL! ALGERIA HAVE STOLEN IT!
119' Algeria 1-0 DR Congo
Algeria substitute Adil Boulbina has just scored a wonderful winning goal!
Mbuku strikes it straight at Zidane
118' Algeria 0-0 DR Congo
Poor from Mbuku, who bursts forward and cuts inside but opts to shoot rather than trying to find a team-mate.
Weak and straight down the throat of Zidane.
Penalties looming large
117' Algeria 0-0 DR Congo
Luca Zidane takes a goal kick for Algeria, knowing a shoot-out is surely on the way unless there is a hugely dramatic late goal.
His dad, football legend and World Cup winner Zinedine, is in the stands.
The final changes for Algeria now
113' Algeria 0-0 DR Congo
Off come Boudaoui and Chaibi, on come Boulbina and Zerrouki.
Zerrouki for Boudaoui in central midfield, Boulbina likely to move onto the left side in place of Chaibi.
Both could be used as penalty takers.
