Long snubbed by Vladimir Petkovic, the former darling of the Algerian championship has confirmed he has what it takes for the A-team. Just six minutes after coming on, the Al Duhail winger burned Aaron Wan-Bissaka to send a rocket into the top left corner of Lionel Mpasi’s goal. All on his first touch. Stunning.
Coming on during extra time, Adil Boulbina turned into the unlikely hero who secured qualification for Algeria in the 119th minute against DR Congo (1-0 aet) this Tuesday in the round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Here are 3 little-known facts about the new darling of the Fennecs fans.
Demanded by fans for months, 22-year-old Adil Boulbina had never been called up by selector Vladimir Petkovic before the 2025 AFCON. The winger’s destiny changed in December during the Arab Cup held in Qatar with Madjid Bougherra’s A’ team. Delivering a strong tournament with 3 goals, 1 assist, and a run to the quarterfinals, Adil Boulbina convinced Petkovic to add him at the last minute to his AFCON squad alongside teammate Redouane Berkane.
After celebrating his debut with 12 minutes in the first group match against Sudan (3-0), the Fennec made his mark on his second appearance by rifling a decisive shot under the bar past Lionel Mpasi. What a story!
At club level, Adil Boulbina has been with Qatar’s Al-Duhail since last summer, where he is coached by… Djamel Belmadi, Algeria’s former national team selector from 2018 to 2024. Making a strong start (8 goals and 5 assists in 17 matches), the forward must nonetheless deal with his coach’s fiery temperament, who lets nothing slide. Just like that viral scene where he grabs his player by the jersey!
While most Algerian football stars are Europe-born binational players, Adil Boulbina is a pure product of local football, particularly from the increasingly prestigious Paradou AC academy, which has produced talents like Ramy Bensebaini and Youcef Atal. Debuting with the first team in 2021 at age 18, Boulbina continued his rise to finish as top scorer in the last Algerian championship (20 goals), earning him his transfer to Qatar.
“Making the people happy is a huge pride”
Level-headed and humble, Boulbina first highlighted the match’s difficulty. “The victory wasn’t easy. I managed to reap the rewards of my teammates’ efforts throughout the game,” he said, refusing any personal spotlight. “The important thing is that we’re in the quarterfinals, not who scored or who plays,” he stressed, in a powerful message of unity.
The young forward nevertheless turned the game’s fate. “Thanks to God, I contributed to the national team’s victory in five minutes of play,” he confided, before showing genuine emotion. “I left the stadium in tears. Seeing this Algerian people who follow and support you everywhere, even in front of the hotel, people who leave their families to come… when you make them happy, it’s a huge pride.” “When I came on, I felt I could score, but I didn’t think it would be this beautiful. Al hamdulillah,” he smiled.
Before concluding with a forward-looking message: “We hope to make you even happier in the next matches.”