Late Drama Pushes Bundesliga Foursome Into AFCON Quarter-Finals

Substitute Boulbina’s 119th-Minute Winner Sends Algeria Through; Quarter-Final Clash with Nigeria Awaits.

The 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) round of 16 witnessed a dramatic showdown, as 2019 champions Algeria edged past DR Congo 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from substitute midfielder Adil Boulbina in the 119th minute, securing a spot in the quarter-finals. The Al-Duhail player, who only featured once in the group stage, came off the bench and scored a spectacular finish just five minutes after his introduction, emerging as the hero of his team’s progression.

All four Bundesliga-based players in Algeria’s squad—Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), Farès Chaïbi (Borussia Dortmund), Mohamed Amoura (VfL Wolfsburg), and Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen)—started the match, demonstrating the team’s core competitiveness. However, their qualification means their respective clubs will be without them when the Bundesliga resumes this weekend. For DR Congo, Samuel Essende remained an unused substitute once again, and following the team’s elimination, he will join two other Augsburg players in ending his tournament early.

Algeria’s quarter-final opponent will be Nigeria. The Super Eagles delivered one of the most dominant performances of the tournament with a 4-0 thrashing of Mozambique, aiming for their first AFCON title since 2013. Yet, their title push has been overshadowed by off-field antics involving star striker Victor Osimhen, setting the stage for a highly anticipated and unpredictable showdown between the two powerhouses.

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