Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Hard-fought win for Algeria over Burkina Faso secures place in the Round of 16

Captain Riyad Mahrez scored the only goal for Algeria to lead his side to a valuable victory over Burkina Faso in a tightly contested and entertaining encounter, securing the “Desert Warriors” a place in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations currently being held in Morocco.

The decisive goal came from the penalty spot, while the post and goalkeeper Luca Zidane stood firm to deny Burkina Faso any chance of a comeback.

With this win, Algeria moved to the top of Group E with six points, three clear of Burkina Faso, while Sudan sit third with three points following their victory over Equatorial Guinea, who remain bottom of the group without a point.

Key moments of the match

Despite a difficult start for Algeria, particularly after an early injury to defender Jaouen Hadjam forced Bosnian coach Vladimir Petković into an enforced substitution, the team showed strong character and quickly regained its balance. Algeria were awarded a penalty after Rayan Aït-Nouri was fouled inside the box, and Mahrez confidently converted it in the 23rd minute.

Before the end of the first half, the match could have taken a different turn when Pierre Kabore’s header struck the left post of Algeria’s goal in Burkina Faso’s clearest chance, while Mohamed Amine Amoura missed an opportunity to double Algeria’s lead when he found himself clean through on goal, only for the goalkeeper to produce an excellent save.

The second half was played with greater caution by both sides, as Burkina Faso pushed in search of an equalizer, while Algeria relied on counter-attacks to close out the game. Despite the lack of clear-cut chances, Algeria had several opportunities to extend their advantage, most notably through Ibrahim Maza, who delivered an impressive performance and was named Man of the Match, despite missing good scoring chances.

In the closing minutes, Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane continued his outstanding display, denying a series of dangerous efforts, including threatening headers, under the watchful eye of his father, football legend Zinedine Zidane, who was present in the stands.

Draw at the top of Group F

Meanwhile, the Group F clash between Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon ended in a 1–1 draw at the Grand Marrakech Stadium.

Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored a superb goal for the reigning champions Côte d’Ivoire for the second match in a row to open the scoring in the 51st minute, but just five minutes later Junior Tchamadeu equalized for Cameroon with a deflected effort in the 56th minute.

The two teams, who have won a combined eight Africa Cup of Nations titles, share the top of the group with four points each. Mozambique sit third with three points after defeating Gabon 3–2 in Agadir, ending a 40-year wait for a victory at the finals of the continental tournament.