Algeria and DR Congo will clash in the Round of 16 of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 in Rabat on Tuesday, each seeking their own path to destiny.

Both sides have been impressive so far in the tournament, and this high billed encounter is expected to bear fireworks at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.

Algeria, title winners in 2019, had an impressive run in the group stages, winning all their games and conceding only once in the process.

It was a stark opposite of their performances since winning the title in Egypt 2019, where they struggled to string results and were increasingly under pressure.

But at this edition, Les Fennecs have been in sensational form, and have been heavily fancied as one of the favourites for the title.

With an experienced squad led by skipper Riyadh Mahrez, Algeria have shown attacking flair with a brilliant balance in defense so far. Seven goals scored in three matches has been a worthy return, and they will look to impose themselves against the Congolese.

They have not lost to the DR Congo in their last seven meetings, winning thrice while four games ended in draws. This will be a confident booster for them, hoping history will favour them against an equally resilient side.

DR Congo have shown their own credentials so far. They finished second in Group D with seven points off two wins and a draw, and only failed to top the group on goal difference.

Just like the Algerians, Les Leopards have had an equally mean defense, only conceding once in their 1-1 draw with Senegal. They have kept clean sheets in two matches and scored five times.

Two-time AFCON, DR Congo’s recent best ever performance was a third place finish in 2015. Under coach Sebastian Desabre, they are seeking to move back to the top.

With an experienced backbone especially offensively, driven by Cedric Bakambu and the evergreen Gael Kakuta, DR Congo will fancy their chances against Algeria.

Coach Desabre will have a strong squad to pick from, with a hungry lot keen to make their presence felt.

Pre-match quotes:

Vladimir Petković, Algeria Head Coach:

"Congo is a well-built team, and you can clearly see the coach’s influence. Offensively, they are especially dangerous down the right side. They attack with a positive approach and strong momentum, and this is reflected in their results, both in the qualifiers and in knockout matches. They may not be used to facing opponents of a certain caliber, but they are still capable of eliminating them.

Sébastien Desabre, DR Congo head coach:

"These are high-stakes matches, since a place in the quarter-finals is at stake against a very good African team. For us, we’re happy because it helps us continue to improve in match preparation. It will also give us a lot of experience in managing this kind of game. And for us, we keep going, we don’t feel any extra pressure. In Congo, we’re used to having high pressure in matches. The players know this, and we actually like it."

Pre-match stat:

Overall, the teams have met seven times. Algeria have recorded three wins, while DR Congo are winless, with four matches ending in draws. The last four meetings have all finished level, with the most recent three — all friendlies — ending 1-1. The last Algeria victory in this fixture came at the 1988 AFCON. (CAFonline)