Algeria are stirring familiar memories on the continental stage once again

By Neilley Claude EBESSA 

Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon 

With four wins from their first four matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Fennecs have reached a milestone they’ve only ever touched twice before. History, intriguingly, has been kind to them on both occasions.

The first came in 1990. Playing on home soil, Algeria swept aside everything in their path, riding the wave of a nation’s belief. Along the way stood Nigeria — formidable, fearless, and favoured by many. Algeria overcame them, then went on to lift their first AFCON crown, sealing a moment that still lives vividly in the country’s football folklore.

The moment that brought everyone together. 🇩🇿

Nearly three decades later, the script resurfaced.

In 2019, far from home, Algeria arrived in Egypt with a squad heavy on talent and hunger but light on external expectations. Once again, they stormed through their opening fixtures. Once again, Nigeria crossed their path. And once again, the Fennecs prevailed — Riyad Mahrez’s iconic late free kick etching itself into AFCON history — before Algeria completed a flawless tournament and claimed their second continental title.

Now, in this edition, the pattern is impossible to ignore.

Four matches. Four victories. Control, confidence, and a sense of inevitability growing with every performance. The numbers whisper destiny, but it’s the manner of Algeria’s play that speaks louder: compact in defense, ruthless in transition, and driven by a squad that seems acutely aware of the weight — and opportunity — of history.

Nigeria have already been dispatched once more, an old rival appearing yet again at a familiar crossroads. For Algerian supporters, it feels less like coincidence and more like a signpost pointing forward.

Of course, tournaments are not won by statistics or symbolism alone. Football has a way of humbling even the most compelling narratives. Yet AFCON has always been a competition where momentum matters, where belief can harden into inevitability.

Algeria have been here before. Twice, this exact road led to gold.

As the tournament deepens and the pressure rises, one question lingers in the air:

Are the Fennecs simply winning games — or are they reliving a destiny they know all too well?