RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Zinedine Zidane watched again and Riyad Mahrez scored again as Algeria reached the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Mahrez took his tally to three goals in two games with a penalty in the 23rd minute. The ball went one way, the goalkeeper the other, and it was enough for the Fennec Foxes to advance to the knockout stage with a maximum six points in Group E.
Click to Gallery
Algeria's Riyad Karim Mahrez, center, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Fez, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Algeria's Riyad Karim Mahrez celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Fez, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Algeria's Riyad Karim Mahrez controls the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Algeria's goalkeeper Luca Zidane kicks the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
It came as a relief for the many Algeria fans who had made the relatively short trip to the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. The team went out after the group stage in both editions after winning the 2019 title in Egypt.
“The goal was for us to qualify and not really individual awards,” said Algeria youngster Ibrahim Maza, 20, who praised his colleagues' teamwork.
The spot kick was awarded by referee Daniel Laryea Nii Ayi after Rayan Aït-Nouri tumbled as he was trying to go past Burkinabe defender Ismahila Ouédraogo.
Algeria failed to take its chances with Mohamed Amoura, Maza and Aït-Nouri denied by goalkeeper Kouakou Koffi.
At the other end, Zidane’s son Luca did not have much to do in the Algeria goal until he was tested by Lassina Traoré in the 83rd.
Cyriaque Irié might have equalized in stoppage time but his header went straight to the Algeria goalkeeper, who has been given a chance to shine for the country of his grandfather because of a knee injury to Alexandre Oukidja, who would likely have started.
There was a cheer when the big screens showed the senior Zidane, the France great, watching while well wrapped up against the cold. He was also present for Algeria's opening win over Sudan.
Algeria left back Jaouen Hadjam went off injured early, and defender Samir Chergui, only recently back from a hamstring problem, had to go off before the hour-mark with what looked like another leg injury.
Burkina Faso stayed second in the group on three points, after its opening win over Equatorial Guinea.
Earlier, Sudan – which is playing despite a brutal war at home – revived its chances of progression with a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in Casablanca.
“Our ambition is to win the title, not just to achieve a single victory,” Sudan coach James Kwesi Appiah said.
Sudan faces Burkina Faso in their final group game on Wednesday with a place in the last 16 at stake. The top two progress from each group, along with the best third-place finishers. Equatorial Guinea, with two defeats, was eliminated.
Defending champion Ivory Coast faces five-time winner Cameroon later in Group F, where Mozambique boosted its hopes of progression with a 3-2 win over Gabon.
AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations
Algeria's Riyad Karim Mahrez, center, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Fez, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Algeria's Riyad Karim Mahrez celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Fez, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Algeria's Riyad Karim Mahrez controls the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Algeria's goalkeeper Luca Zidane kicks the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Burkina Faso in Rabat, Morocco, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Drake Maye threw a career-high five touchdown passes before getting the rest of the game off in the third quarter, New England scored a TD on its first six drives and the Patriots finished the regular season undefeated on the road by dominating the New York Jets 42-10 on Sunday.
Rhamondre Stevenson had a TD run and catch for the Patriots (13-3), who moved closer to winning the AFC East title for the first time since 2019. They'll do so if Buffalo loses or ties against Philadelphia later in the day.
Maye was 19 of 21 for 256 yards and a 157.0 quarterback rating with TD tosses to Stevenson, Stefon Diggs, Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry and Efton Chism III before being lifted by coach Mike Vrabel for Joshua Dobbs with 5:31 left in the third quarter. Maye joined Tom Brady (11 times) and Drew Bledsoe (twice) as the only New England quarterbacks to reach 4,000 yards passing in a season.
Dobbs' first drive ended the Patriots' touchdown run, with New England settling for a field goal on its seventh possession — but Andy Borregales clanked the 41-yard attempt off the right upright.
It didn't matter much by then, though, as the Patriots cruised to their eighth 13-win season in team history. Only San Francisco has more with 11.
In a road game that looked and sounded more like a Patriots home game with all the red, white and blue-clad fans who made the trek down to MetLife Stadium, New England finished 8-0 away from Gillette Stadium. It's the third time in franchise history the Patriots had no regular-season road losses. Only San Francisco (1984, 1989 and 1990) has also gone undefeated on the road in three seasons since 1970.
Meanwhile, it was another embarrassing showing in the home finale for the lowly Jets (3-13), who have lost four in a row and have two straight seasons with multiple losing streaks of at least four games. New York became the fifth team in NFL history to lose four straight by 23 or more points in one season, and the first since the 1972 Patriots.
Undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook made his third consecutive start and went 19 of 33 for 152 yards and an interception.
Breece Hall had 111 yards rushing, including a 59-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter, to give him his first 1,000-yard season.
Maye and the Patriots sliced through the Jets' porous defense on their opening drive, capping it with a 2-yard TD catch by Hooper.
After a three-and-out by the Jets on their opening drive, New England again got into the end zone. After a questionable pass interference call on Brandon Stephens in the end zone put the ball on the 1, Stevenson ran it in.
The Patriots took advantage of an interception by Jaylinn Hawkins and scored on their third straight possession, this time on Maye's 22-yard TD pass to Stevenson to make it 21-0.
Nick Folk's 39-yard field goal got the Jets on the scoreboard with 9:56 left in the opening half.
New England made it 4 for 4 on TD drives on their next possession with Maye hitting Diggs on a screen on fourth down for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 28-3 with 3:01 remaining in the second quarter.
After a roughing-the-passer call on third down kept the Patriots' next drive alive, Maye got his fourth TD pass of the first half on a 13-yard toss to a wide-open Henry.
New England stayed perfect on TD drives on the first possession of the second half with Maye finding a diving Chism for a 10-yard score that made it 42-3.
The Jets tried to find a spark on special teams with two fake punts on the same drive to open the second half.
On fourth-and-2 from the Jets 43, punter Austin McNamara took the snap and tossed a 3-yard pass to Malachi Moore for a first down.
Four plays later on fourth-and-6 from the 50, McNamara again lined up to punt but Isaiah Davis took the direct snap and was immediately dropped for a 3-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
Patriots: FB Jack Westover injured an ankle in the fourth quarter.
Jets: Hall left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. ... CB Qwan'tez Stiggers injured a knee in the second half. ... Davis was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter. ... LG John Simpson hurt a knee in the fourth quarter.
Patriots: Host Miami next Saturday or Sunday.
Jets: Finish the season on the road in Buffalo next Saturday or Sunday.
—
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) dives for a fumble against the New England Patriots during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) celebrates a touchdown against the New York Jets with teammate Kyle Williams (18) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry scores a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) celebrates after a touchdown against the New York Jets with teammate Demario Douglas (3) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, left, celebrates after a touchdown against the New York Jets with teammate Drake Maye (10) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)
