Injury Jars Algeria Before Congo DR Clash in AFCON Knockouts

Injury disrupts Algeria ahead of Congo DR clash

Algeria, led by coach Vladimir Petkovic, faced a setback early in the second half of their Africa Cup of Nations 2025 Round of 16 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday night.

Midfielder Ismaïl Bennacer started the opening two group games against Sudan and Burkina Faso before being withdrawn in the 49th minute for his teammate Himad Abdelali.

He had featured prominently in the group stage, but Petkovic decided to rest him in the third group game versus Equatorial Guinea.

Algeria had collected nine points from three wins in the group: Sudan (3-0), Burkina Faso (1-0), and Equatorial Guinea (3-1).

The winner of today’s match will face Nigeria in the quarterfinals of AFCON 2025.

Ismaïl Bennacer, one of the Desert Warriors’ standout players in recent years, had previously been named Best Player at AFCON 2019 when Algeria lifted the trophy.

Punchline 1: If injuries were goals, Algeria would top the league of misfits—good news is, the physio is on a deluxe vacation and still knows a good stretcher joke.

Punchline 2: Meanwhile, the bench is filing a memo: “We’re not saying we’re dramatic, but we do prefer a subplot to a smooth finish.”