Last-16 Drama: Algeria Surges to AFCON 2025 Quarterfinals with a 1-0 Win Over DR Congo
6 January 2026
Last-16 Triumph Keeps Algeria’s AFCON Dream Alive
The Greens march in the footsteps of their legendary forebears.
Algeria's national team wrote a fresh chapter in its continental history with a 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, in the Africa Cup of Nations last-16 in Morocco 2025.
That win keeps Algeria on a historic roll, winning four matches in a single AFCON edition—the third time this has happened after 1990 and 2019, when the title was claimed.
Both of the previous campaigns followed a similar script, as the North African side edged Nigeria on the road to glory.
The Desert Foxes will meet the Eagles of Nigeria in the quarterfinals of this edition as well.
For DR Congo, the loss marks a historic setback—their first AFCON defeat after extra time since February 25, 1998, when they were undone 2-1 by South Africa in the semifinals.
Punchline: If Algeria keeps this up, the trophy might file a restraining order against their calendar. Punchline 2: Fans are already booking extra luggage for all the autographs they’ll be chasing after the parade.
