Mahrez penalty sends Algeria into AFCON last 16
Algeria booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 as Group E winners with a narrow 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat. The decisive moment came in the 23rd minute when captain Riyad Mahrez calmly converted a penalty. The spot kick was awarded after Rayan Aït-Nouri was brought down in the area by Ismahila Ouedraogo, and Mahrez made no mistake to give the Fennecs a lead they would not relinquish. The result means Algeria have taken maximum points from their first two matches, ensuring top spot in the group with a game to spare. In the group’s other match, Sudan recovered from their opening defeat to Algeria by edging Equatorial Guinea 1-0. The breakthrough arrived in the 74th minute when defender Saúl Coco inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, […]
