For the first time in their history, Mauritania has clinched a victory at the Africa Cup of Nations, and remarkably, it came against one of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, Algeria. This historic win propels Mauritania to the next round and sends Algeria home without a victory, marking it as a disastrous campaign for the established team.
When Mohamed Dellahi scored in the 37th minute, it marked the first time Mauritania had ever taken the lead in an Africa Cup of Nations match. Just 57 minutes later, they secured their first AFCON victory and qualified for the knockout stage for the first time, finishing third in group D behind Angola and Burkina Faso, while dealing a devastating blow to Algeria.
Algeria, starting slowly but improving through the first half, faced a setback when Mauritania scored. Dellahi found the net after a half-cleared corner was sent back into the box.
At the beginning of the second half, Djamel Belmadji altered his original plan, bringing back Riyad Mahrez and Nabil Bentaleb, but despite creating more chances, Algeria couldn't recover. Mauritania even came close to scoring again, with Ibnou Ba hitting the bar from close range.
An ecstatic Mauritania advances to the last 16, where they will face Cape Verde. The unexpected journey of Mauritania in this tournament continues to captivate, leaving fans wondering if they could pull off another surprise.
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