African Cup of Nations
Algeria 1 – 0 Burkina Faso FT
Riyad Mahrez becomes Algeria’s all-time leading scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations with nine goals [Getty Images]
Riyad Mahrez scored his third goal in two games at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring from the penalty spot in Rabat as Algeria beat Burkina Faso 1-0 and progressed to the last 16.
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The 2019 champions ended a run of two consecutive group stage exits thanks to a clinical first-half strike from Mahrez, who overturned a clumsy challenge from Ismaila Ouedraogo.
Former Manchester City winger Mahrez scored twice in Phoenix’s opening 3-0 win over Sudan, firing a low shot into the corner that left goalkeeper Hervé Coffey in his tracks.
Burkina Faso responded positively, with Pierre Kabore twice threatening to equalize before the break.
The Stallions continued to press after the break but failed to find a shot on target until the 82nd minute, with Kofi frequently at the other end making a series of fine saves to frustrate Algeria’s rapid counterattack.
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The result leaves the North African side top of Group E with six points, with Burkina Faso and Sudan tied on three points following a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea earlier in the day on Sunday. The result means Equatorial Guinea are eliminated.
All four teams will play their final group stage matches on Wednesday (16:00 GMT), when Algeria face Equatorial Guinea in Rabat and Burkina Faso faces Sudan in Casablanca.
Zidane on the pitch and in the stands
Even at 34 years old, Mahrez’s big-match pedigree continues to push Algeria forward.
His leadership and composure remain invaluable to the Foxes, as does his ability to provide consistency in key moments for a team that has struggled in recent games.
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It remains to be seen how long he can continue to turn the tide once tougher opposition emerges.
While Mahrez played a key role on the pitch, another mesmerizing striker with a magical left foot was watching from the stands, with Zidane on hand to witness another clean sheet from his son Luca, who was announced for Algeria in September.
The 27-year-old confidently dealt with Burkina Faso’s late aerial bombardment and long-range shots to ensure his side maintained a slim lead after Mahrez’s 23rd-minute penalty.
Before the break, Kabore volleyed a header and hit the right post. Half-time substitute Georgi Minugu’s shot went slightly over the crossbar with 10 minutes left.
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Lassina Traore’s tame header and Edmond Tapsoba’s late shot deflected summed up the Stallions’ lack of quality up front.
Ultimately, it was Algeria’s defensive resilience and Mahrez’s experience that proved the case.
Securing promotion with one game remaining could restore confidence to coach Vladimir Petkovic’s players and make Algeria an early front-runner for this tournament, along with Egypt and Nigeria.
