Africa Cup of Nations: Algeria gears up to face DRC

Algeria vs. Democratic Republic of Congo: Round of 16 Preview

As Algeria prepares for their Round of 16 match against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, the team's captain emphasizes a disciplined approach. Riyad Mahrez highlighted the capabilities of DR Congo, noting them as a formidable opponent requiring Algeria to "step up" to secure a quarter-final spot.

Mahrez addressed the speculation around Algeria being favorites, stating, "I don’t think we can talk about being favorites or not because we had a good group stage, but now we have to take it game by game. We have a big match already in a few days, so we have to do the job and take it step by step."

While winning the Africa Cup of Nations would be "incredible," Mahrez maintains focus on the immediate match.

Algeria has won the tournament twice: first in 1990 when they hosted it, and again in 2019 in Egypt. The Democratic Republic of Congo has also won twice: in 1968 as Congo-Kinshasa and in 1974 as Zaire.

Based on reporting by Africanews.