Algeria’s players celebrate at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Photo: MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP
Magical Mahrez goal vs Nigeria sends Algeria to Afcon final [video]
A spectacular free-kick from Riyad Mahrez left Daniel Akpeyi clutching at thin air and gave Algeria a 2-1 win over Nigeria in the second Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, held at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday.
Algeria’s players celebrate at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Photo: MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP
Algeria had taken a 1-0 lead 39 minutes into the game through a William Troost-Ekong own goal, but Nigeria rallied back to equalise after 72 minutes via a penalty from Odion Ighalo.
The Desert Foxes could have been forgiven for being downcast, but instead, they showed tremendous fighting spirit and piled pressure on Gernot Rohr’s men. Ismaël Bennacer had only just hit the crossbar when Algeria won a free-kick just outside the area in stoppage time.
With what proved to be the last kick of the game, Mahrez stepped up and rifled the ball into the top corner. The hordes of Algerian fans who travelled to Egypt for the semi-finals were sent into delirium and one couldn’t help but feel that it had been written in the stars.
Algeria will face Senegal in the final on Friday at the same stadium. The Lions of Teranga beat Tunisia 1-0 in the earlier semi-final, but have already lost 1-0 to Algeria during the group stage.
