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21 min: How have Algeria not scored? The ball pings around the box before Mahrez controls it with a header. Belghali then turns and crosses it in but Mbema guides it out for a corner.
Mahrez’s corner lacks height and DR Congo clear easily.
20 min: Another Algeria free-kick and this time Chaibi takes it. A much better ball in and Moutoussamy with a crucial header away.
17 min: Mahrez takes the free-kick low and Mandi flicks it wide. Bensebaini yells in frustration. The Borussia Dortmund defender is 6ft 2in and you could see he was preparing for a cross that had more height on it.
16 min: Algeria win a corner outside the box on the right. Mahrez and Chaibi standing over it …
14 min: Mandi is now down … this has been very stop start so far. Replay shows Bakambu tripped over the forward when he was on the ground and accidentaly kneed his head. Play continues.
10 min: Algeria win their first corner … Bensebaini takes but it barely clears the first man. Amoura is now down and the replay shows his football boot came clean off during that corner. No foul, which is the right decision I think, and play continues with a DR Congo free-kick.
9 min: Chancel Mbemba is down receiving treatment. Would be a huge miss for DR Congo for their captain to be injured early but he seems to be OK.
7 min: For once, Mahrez’s touch lets him down! A great ball comes in over the top but the winger is almost through on goal but the ball bounces awkwardly off his foot.
4 min: An early free-kick for Algeria near their own box. The referee gives Bakambu a talking to for a shovw, and then kicking the ball away. He is claiming that he didn’t hear the whistle. No card but Adam emails in to say: “I think this will be a very physical game, lots of yellow cards and possibly reds for both teams. Hopefully the ref can control the game!”
1 min: DR Congo lost only match in 2025, a World Cup qualifier against Guinea. Algeria’s streak goes back even longer, Vladimir Petkovic losing his first game in charge back in 2024 against Guinea.
Kick-off: Algeria 0-0 DR Congo
The referee blows the whistle and we are off. Two teams who went unbeaten in the group stages … that streak ends today!
Algeria in their white kits with green trim and DR Congo in all blue.
The teams are out, the national anthems are being sung and we are getting close to kick-off. The camera pans to Zinedine Zidane, whose son Luca is between the sticks for Algeria.
There are not as many DR Congo fans in Morocco but they are making their voice heard in Rabat. We see the fan who has gained social media virality for standing for all of DR Congo’s matches. He resembles the country’s first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, who led the country in 1960.
Yesterday’s ties saw Nigeria book their spot in the last-eight after their 4-0 rout of Mozambique.
There was tension on the pitch after Victor Osimhen confronted Ademola Lookman for not passing him the ball in the 63rd minute. The Galatasaray striker was on a hat-trick. The pair had to be separated by Mozambique players and Osimhen was booed off the pitch after his substitution. He went straight down the tunnel after the full-time whistle. Lookman downplayed the situation during his post-match media duties, saying: “There are no issues between me and Victor. It’s just football. He is my brother.”
The Super Eagles will play the winner of Algeria v DR Congo in their quarter-final on 10 January.
Egypt needed extra-time to get over the line in their 3-1 win over Benin. Marwan Attia’s fine finish from the edge of the box in the 69th minute but, against the run of play, Benin clawed one back after Junior Olaitan’s deflected cross wrong-footed Mohamed El Shenawy, who could barely push the ball off his line. The rebound found an alert Jodel Dossou who hammered home the loose ball.
Yasser Ibrahim’s looping header was the winner early on in extra-time before Mohamed Salah sped away in the final minute to seal the win with an outside of the boot curling finish. The seven-time champions await the winner of Côte d’Ivoire v Burkina Faso.
Team news
Algeria XI (4-2-3-1): Zidane; Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini, Ait-Nouri; Boudaoui, Bennacer; Mahrez, Chaibi, Amoura; Maza.
Subs: Mandrea, Benbot, Dorval, Belaid, Atal, Zerrouki, Abdelli, Zorgane, Hadj Moussa, Kebbal, Bounedjah, Bakrar, Boulbina, Berkane.
DR Congo XI (4-3-3): Mpasi; Wan-Bissaka, Mbemba, Tuanzebe, J Kayembe; Sadiki, Moutoussamy, Mukau; Elia, Bakambu, Bongonda.
Subs: Fayulu, Epolo, Kapuadi, Batubinsika, Bushiri, Kalulu, Pickel, E Kayembe, Kakuta, Mbuku, Essende, Mayele, Cipenga, Banza, Balikwisha.
Referee: Mohamed Eid Mansour (Egypt)
Preamble
Hello and welcome to one of the final matches of the 2025 Afcon last-16: Algeria v DR Congo. The north African side will be keen to follow up on their strong group stage showing, where they finished top with three wins.
DR Congo will not be an easy task though; Sébastien Desabre’s side came second in their group, only behind Senegal on goal difference.
Both teams have each won two Afcon trophies – Algeria in 1990 and 2019, DR Congo in 1968 and 1974 – but only one will be contesting for a third after today.
As always, feel free to get in touch via email if you have any thoughts, predictions, questions or musings. Kick-off is at 4pm GMT in Rabat. Team news coming up …
