Brotherly Game Archive
Rais M’Bolhi’s clean sheet helps Algeria to Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals
Rais M'Bolhi's Africa Cup of Nations performance continues to impress as he helped Algeria advance to the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Rais M'Bolhi saved three shots and earned his first clean sheet of the tournament as Algeria beat Sengal 2-0. The win confirmed les Verts will appear in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals on February 1 against a team from Group D, which will be decided tomorrow..
Senegal was the more aggressive side throughout controlling 59% of the possession and outshooting Algeria 15-7, but Algeria found the space on the counter and cleanly finished two quality looks. Algeria’s commitment to packing the box was clear as they blocked 8 Senegalese attempts.
Rais M’Bolhi’s saves were well earned. The highlight save came in the 83′, just after Algeria took the 2-0 lead. Stephane Badji sent a scorching shot on the turf toward goal. M’Bolhi was able to corral the ball and avoid a rebound. M’Bolhi’s save percentage in the tournament is now a solid 78%.
Exactly who Algeria will play next is completely up for grabs. All four games in Group D have finished 1-1 and so all four teams are exactly tied. Group favorites Cameroon and Ivory Coast square off so it’s likely one will be eliminated . Each team controls their own destiny as they face off tomorrow at 1PM EST on BeIN Sport USA and BeIN Sport Connect. If both matches end in 1-1 ties, lots will be drawn to see who advances.
Here are the highlights of the match:
