December 28, (THEWILL) — Algeria have confirmed their progression to the knockout phase of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following a narrow 1-0 triumph against Burkina Faso in Sunday’s Group E encounter in Rabat. The North Africans now sit atop the group with six points and cannot be caught due to head-to-head regulations.
The decisive moment arrived after 20 minutes when Rayan Ait Nouri was brought down inside the penalty area by Ismahila Ouedraogo. Riyad Mahrez stepped up to convert from the spot, sending goalkeeper Herve Koffi the wrong way. The goal marked Mahrez’s ninth at the tournament across his career, extending his record for Algeria, and took his tally to two in this edition after his contribution in the opening 3-0 victory over Sudan.
Burkina Faso threatened an equaliser just before the interval when Pierre Kabore’s close-range header struck the post, with Algeria managing to clear the danger. Koffi remained active throughout, producing saves to deny Mohamed Amoura and Ibrahim Maza, who also missed the target with another effort.
Late drama ensued when Luca Zidane, son of French legend, Zinedine Zidane, reacted sharply to keep out a header from Lassina Traore. The save preserved Algeria’s clean sheet and ensured they finished the match with maximum points.
Algeria face eliminated Equatorial Guinea in their final group match on Wednesday, whilst Burkina Faso, level on three points with Sudan, will meet the Sudanese side to determine second place.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
