Algeria vs. Burkina Faso: AFCON 2025 Group E heavyweights set for high-stakes clash in Rabat
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Fennec Foxes and the Stallions put unbeaten records on the line
Group E at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations enters a crucial juncture tonight, as favourites Algeria and Burkina Faso prepare to face off in a battle for top spot in the group at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
The Fennec Foxes kicked off their campaign in style by beating Sudan 3-0 in their opening match on Christmas Eve, and our football experts are expecting tonight’s clash to be another high-scoring affair, according to our Algeria vs Burkina Faso prediction.
The North African nation benefited from the sending off of Sudan’s Salahedin Alhassan just before the interval in their opening match of the competition, and went on to secure a comfortable victory to take an early lead in the group standings.
Similarly, the Stallions also played the majority of the second half of their first match against a 10-man Equatorial Guinea, but their victory was much less straightforward, as they needed to score twice in stoppage time to secure the points.
Tonight marks the fourth meeting between these sides at the AFCON finals, and both teams have won one game apiece, while the other ended level. Notably, all three previous encounters between Algeria and Burkina Faso in this competition ended with both teams on the score sheet.
Overall, this is the 20th time the Desert Warriors and the Stallions will face off across all competitions, and here too, they have been inseparable in terms of results, with both sides winning six of the previous 19 meetings each, while seven ended in drawn results.
Mahrez to Minoungou: Key players to watch in Algeria vs Burkina Faso clash
While Algeria have seen several young stars emerge in recent years, veteran Riyad Mahrez showed why he is still the main man for the Desert Warriors in the win over Sudan by bagging a brace to lead his side to victory and top spot in the group.
The Al-Ahli winger’s first goal, which came off a Hicham Boudaoui backheel, saw him become the oldest player at 34 years and 306 days to score twice in a match at the Africa Cup of Nations since Zian Tlemcani for Tunisia in 1998. Don’t forget, you can keep up with all the action in real-time via our AFCON 2025 livescores.
One player who Algerian fans are keen to see in action again tonight is Bayer Leverkusen youngster Ibrahim Maza, who came on for Ramy Bensebaini against Sudan, and produced a stunning cameo that also placed him in the nation’s history books.
The 20-year-old midfielder’s big moment came in the 85th minute when he latched onto a loose ball in the opposing box before slotting away his first goal for Algeria to become the nation’s youngest goalscorer in AFCON history at just 20 years and 30 days.
For Burkina Faso, Georgi Minoungou made headlines by coming off the bench to equalise in the 95th minute against Equatorial Guinea. The Seattle Sounders’ winger’s journey to AFCON has been nothing short of inspirational, having overcome losing sight in his left eye back in 2023.
The final player who will be crucial for the West Africans is Edmond Tapsoba, who scored the winner against Equatorial Guinea, but his role tonight will largely revolve around maintaining defensive solidity and keeping the likes of Mahrez and Co at bay.
