Algeria tops Senegal to win 1st AFCON in nearly 3 decades

Algeria has won its first Africa Cup of Nations in 29 years with a 1-0 victory over Senegal in Cairo.

The result marks the second time the Desert Foxes blanked the Lions of Teranga by a 1-0 scoreline at the tournament. Youcef Belaili's second-half goal during the Group C encounter on June 27 guided Algeria to top spot in the quartet.

Algeria couldn't have asked for a more fortuitous start to Friday's showpiece.

Baghdad Bounedjah's effort from distance caromed off Salif Sane's extended leg and ascended into the night before bounding into Senegal's net inside of two minutes.

It was an advantageous deflection that should have kicked the match into gear, but the first half was instead an unspectacular stop-start affair rife with chippy fouls and constant breaks in play.

Senegal believed it had a penalty around the hour mark when Adlene Guedioura was harshly adjudged to have handled Ismaila Sarr's cross in the box. It took several minutes for Cameroonian match official Neant Alioum to overturn the call following a VAR check.

Algeria's two AFCON wins are now joint-fifth for the most all time with the Ivory Coast and DR Congo, and five adrift of Egypt's seven titles. Senegal's wait for a maiden continental conquest will now continue until at least the 2021 installment in Cameroon.