Djamel Belhadi's Algeria underlined their credentials as potential champions with an impressive 3-0 deconstruction of Guinea on Sunday night to move into the last eight at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Baghdad Bounedjah should have opened the scoring for Algeria after 20 minutes. He slickly chested down Adlene Guedioura’s lofted pass into the box but with only the Guinea goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone to beat, he lifted his shot over the bar.
Mohamed Youcef Belali was more accurate four minutes later. He collected Bounedjah’s lay-off and swept past Kone to register his second goal of the tournament.
Despite dominating the rest of the half, Algeria could not find a way past until 12 minutes into the second period.
It was the skipper who made the breakthrough. Riyad Mahrez controlled Ismael Bennacer’s cross from the left to take the ball past a defender and flash his shot into the right hand corner of Kone's goal.
Algeria just went through the motions afterwards with Guinea unable to muster any sustained menace despite some engaging interplay among the forwards.
Algeria substitute Adam Ounas slotted in the third - his third goal of the tournament - with eight minutes reamining to highlight the riches at Belhadi's disposal.
"We played a good match," said Mahrez after the victory. "Guinea are a good side so we're pleased to have got through. We scored the goals at exactly teh righ tmoments so all in all we're very happy."
With pre- tournament favourites Morocco and Egypt dispatched, the manner of the victory will install Algeria as the side to beat.
They will play either Cote d'Ivoire or Mali in the last eight in Suez on 11 July.
