Seven Minutes, One Moment: Algeria's Bolbina Smashes through AFCON with a Man of the Match
6 January 2026
Match Pivot: Bolbina's 119th Minute Miracle
Adil Bolbina, Algeria's rising star, earned the Man of the Match award for a decisive late strike against DR Congo in AFCON 2025 despite playing only seven minutes.
Algeria advanced to the quarterfinals with a 1-0 win after extra time, sealing the result with a rocket shot in the 119th minute.
The hero started on the bench and came on in the 113th minute for Faris Chaibi, delivering the knockout blow in stoppage time.
The celebration followed as the goal decided the match, drawing more attention to the ending than to the extra time itself.
CAF and team officials highlighted the emotional lift of qualification and the importance of the moment for the squad.
Luka Zidane kept the defense solid for a third time in the tournament, making two crucial saves and earning a 7.2 rating from Sofascore, while Riyad Mahrez contributed with 19 accurate passes from 22 attempts, an 86 percent success rate.
Issa Mendi also stood out with nine ball recoveries and a 7.6 rating as Algeria progressed.
The postmatch remarks from Bolbina shared with the CAF media center expressed gratitude to the fans and pride in the qualification as a group effort.
He added that reaching the quarterfinals mattered more than the award, though the accolade provides a personal boost.
Two quick notes on performances show the strength of the defense and the late drama, setting a positive mood for the next round.
The match stats underline Zidane's reliability, Mahrez’s contribution, and Mendi’s industry as the final acts of the drama.
Final words from the coach and players emphasized the collective effort that carried the wind to the quarterfinals, even with the bench providing crucial minutes.
Punchline time: If football could be a movie, this would be the cliffhanger the crowd didn’t see coming, and the net finally obeyed the script. Punchline two: The clock was so late that even the calendar blinked in disbelief. Sniper note: keep your head in the game and your humor on target—two jokes, zero remorse.
