AFCON: Algeria dominated DR Congo – Petković

Algeria national team coach Vladimir Petković insisted his side was the better and deserved to win the Round of 16 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) fixture against DR Congo at Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday.

Substitute Adil Boulbina struck deep into extra time to send Algeria into the last eight, sealing a hard-fought 1-0 victory against the Leopards. With the Round of 16 fixture headed for penalties, Boulbina scored in the 118th minute.

His goal came five minutes after he had come on as a substitute. The breakthrough confirmed the end of DR Congo’s journey at the 35th edition of the AFCON in the North African nation.

Algeria dominated DR Congo fixture

“I believe we deserved to win based on what our players delivered, and I thank them for that. We controlled two-thirds of the match and played good football, even though we faced some challenges during the game,” he told CAF Media.

“We played well as a group, dominated the match, overcame difficulties, scored a goal and managed to win and qualify. I think we managed the match professionally. Qualifying was important, and now we will think about the next match against Nigeria.”

Following the win, Algeria qualified for a showdown against Nigeria in Marrakesh, as their bid for a second AFCON title in six years gathers momentum.