Burkina Faso was unlucky not to qualify for the knockout phase of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Ivory Coast on matchday two, despite putting in a commendable effort against Algeria.

Burkina Faso, who were on track for a historic win over the 2019 champions, conceded a goal in stoppage time, ultimately settling for a 2-2 draw in a match where they never trailed.

Algeria entered the match as favorites and dominated possession, yet Burkina Faso posed a constant threat on the counter-attack, and a victory for them would have been well-deserved.

The first goal materialized just before halftime in a spectacular manner. Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba delivered a perfectly placed diagonal ball behind the Algerian defense, met by Mohamed Konate’s header that thundered into the net. Initially flagged offside, VAR revealed the striker to be just onside.

Algeria emerged in the second half with renewed determination, equalizing after six minutes when halftime substitute Youcef Belaili’s partially blocked free kick found its way to Baghdad Bounedjah, who calmly scored from close range.

In another VAR-assisted decision favoring the underdogs, Issa Kabore was brought down by Rayan Ait-Nouri, leading the referee to award a penalty after reviewing the sideline video. Substitute Traore, on for Konate who received a booking, confidently converted from the spot.

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The momentum seemed to favor Burkina Faso, especially after Algeria substituted off stars Youcef Belaili and the previously anonymous Riyad Mahrez.

However, Bounedjah, the tournament’s leading scorer with three goals, secured Algeria’s advantageous position to advance to the last 16 with a victory over Mauritania in their final group match.

Algeria have two points from two games after drawing their initial match against Angola. Their final group game against Mauritania is on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, as the Burkinabe take on Angola.