Cheima Moufdil
Algeria booked their place in the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after edging Burkina Faso 1–0 in Rabat, thanks to a first-half penalty from captain Riyad Mahrez.
The decisive moment came in the 23rd minute at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium when Manchester City defender Rayan Aït-Nouri was fouled in the box. Mahrez calmly converted from the spot to secure a hard-fought victory in a physical and tightly contested encounter.
The win leaves Algeria with a perfect record in Group E after two matches, six points on the board and no goals conceded. Under head coach Vladimir Petkovic, the 1990 and 2019 champions have underlined their status as one of the tournament favourites.
Burkina Faso and Sudan both sit on three points and face each other in the final round of group games, meaning Algeria are guaranteed a top-two finish regardless of their final match against Equatorial Guinea.
Mahrez, featuring in his sixth AFCON, now has three goals in the tournament following his brace against Sudan and nine overall at the finals — an Algerian record. His influence once again proved decisive, even as Burkina Faso threatened an equaliser through Pierre Landry Kabore and late pressure in the second half.
Algeria also had chances to extend their lead, with Ibrahim Maza and Mohamed Amoura going close, but the single goal was enough to seal progression and maintain their defensive solidity heading into the knockout stages.