Senegal 0-1 Algeria Bounedjah’s deflected strike in the second minute has given the Fennecs their second continental title, their first since 1990. Their players and fans celebrate a career-defining achievement, and they don’t care that the match was an ugly spectacle. They deserve their crown, they have been the best team throughout the tournament. Senegal leave with the familiar anguish of a chance missed. They were both unlucky and untidy. Their wait for a title goes on.

90+4 min : Sane lashes the freekick into the wall.

90+3 min : Danger here! Deliberate handball earns Guedioura a booking and gives Senegal a freekick about 25 yards out, a little to the left. This is their chance to snatch a late equaliser ....

90+2 min : A decent delivery at last! Gueye floats a useful ball into the box from wide on the left. Mbolhi earns the adulation of his teammates by claiming it amid a thicket of bodies.

90 min : There will be at least four more minutes. No idea why there isn’t more, given all the stoppages there have been.

89 min : A reckless tackle by Guedioura gives Senegal a freekick wide on the right. But the delivery is again woeful.

Algeria substitution : Slimani on, Bounedjah off

87 min : Diatta stands over a freekick wide on the left. Senegal sends all their big lads into the box. And Diatta balloons it over the bar. What an an awful freekick.

86 min : It’s still too bitty, disfigured by cunning or rash fouls. Senegal have lost the rhythm they briefly had earlier in the half, and Algerian fans are starting to sense glory is within reach ...

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Senegal substitution : Balde on, Niang off.

Algeria substitutions : Brahimi and Tahrat on, Balaili and Feghouli

83 min : A good ball into the Algeria box is headed out to the edge of the area, where it drops invitingly for Sarr. He volleys it hard ... and too high! And then he holds his hands in his hands, knowing excitement for the better of him there.

82 min : Algeria launch a long ball forward to Bounedjah, who does his utmost to barge his way past the last two defenders but runs straight into Kouyate.

80 min : Gassama booked for a mistimed tackle on Bennacer.

79 min : Gueye, who has not been as influential today as in previous games, is booked for a foul. And during that pause the ref allows Benlamri to rejoin the action in a pair of pristine new shorts.

78 min : Benlamri has been patched up and wants to come back on, but the officials won’t allow it until he changes out of his blood-splattered shorts. Algeria must play on with 10 men...

77 min : Diattta deposits a corner right on top of Mbolhi, who ignores the challenge of Diagne and punches well clear.

Senegal substitution : Diagne on, Saivet off. That suggests a switch to two up front, and a new person to take Senegal’s setpieces - Saivet’s deliveries have been poor so he won’t be missed.

76 min : Benlamri and Mane clash heads as they contest a bouncing ball, leaving the Algerian with blood spewing from an open wound on his face.

74 min : Mahrez’s curls a vicious corner into the near post. Gomis does well to punch it clear under pressure.

73 min : Mahrez relieves the pressure by drawing a foul in the Senegalese half. Then he curls the freekick from the left into the box. Sane has to nod it behind for a corner to stop Bensebaini from getting on the end of it.

70 min : Algeria look jaded. They can’t string three passes together and are struggling to keep pace with Senegal’s runs. Can they hold on for another 20 minutes? Tick, tock! Tick, tock!

69 min : Nifty play by Senegal to find work Sabalay into space about 20 yards from goal. He unleashes a swirling shot that M’Bohli pushes over the bar with difficulty.

68 min : Diatte has made a difference for Senegal, who are stretching Algeria more and more. The North Africans are clinging on ...

66 min : Niang peels wide with a clever run and is rewarded with a fine low pass from deep by Kouyate. M’bohli rushes off the line to try to intercept at the edge of the area, but Niang beats him to it. In doing so he takes the ball quite quite, and he can’t steer his shot on to the target.

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64 min : Senegal resume their pursuit of an equaliser. Algeria continue to show no ambition other than to hold them at bay.

The ref his overturned his decision, presumably on the grounds that the handball was not deliberate. This seems a good time to recall that Senegal are missing one of the best players today, Koulibably, because he was booked for a similar handball in the semi-final..

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Sarr’s cross from the right struck the arm of Guedioura. There was no way he could get out of the way but the ref has no hesitate in pointing to the spot. It’ll be a while before the spotkick is taken, however, because Algeria are protesting hard. Oh, and now the ref is going over to check the Var screen...

Senegal substitution : Diatta on, Ndiaye off. A welcome attempt to introduce more creativity to Senegal’s midfield.

58 min : That’s better! From the left wing Sabalay rolls a low pass to Mane in the box. He spins past a defender and lashes the ball across the face of goal. Benlamri does well to divert it away from the danger zone with his thigh.

56 min : Another freekick for Senegal, midway inside the Algerian half. Saviet’s delivery is again lacking. True quality has yet to make an appearance in this final.

54 min : Belaili booked for rebuking the referee after being penalised for an awkward challenge on Gassama.

52 min : Mane leads a break for Senegal, dashing towards the Algerian box, where, for once, Algeria don’t have many players. Mane knocks the ball through to Niang and darts through in the hope of getting a return pass. But Niang’s control is lamentable, and the ball won’t be coming back.

50 min : Good work by Sarr and Gassam down the right, until Bensebaini intelligently shepherds Gassama towards the corner flag.

48 min : Ndiaye takes out Bounedjah, giving Algeria a freekick in dangerous crossing territory, to the left of Senegal’s box. Bennacer flights it in, Gassama nuts it away.

47 min : It took only 43 seconds for the first freekick of the second half to be awarded. The next came 20 seconds later...

46 min : Algeria get the second half going. Let’s hope they’re going to try to increase their lead rather than just palm off Senegal.

As the players made their way off the pitch, several of the substitutes squared up to each other and there was some feisty pushing and shoving. At this point it’s hard to say which we are more likely to see in the second half: another goal or a big ol’ donnybrook.

After a storming start and a fortuitous goal, Algeria have been pushed backwards by Senegal. Mostly the play was scrappy and ill-tempered, at times downright pathetic given some of the theatrics, but in the last few minutes of the half Senegal started to look sharper, passing and moving with precision and speed. Not enough to truly unhinge the Algerian defence yet, but Belmadi must know that if this pattern continues, an equaliser is on the cards. Algeria need to regain control and put on more pressure at the other end, where Senegal’s defence look dodgy.

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45 min : Top pressing by Senegal to win the ball on half-way. Then they moved forward fast with a series of one-touch passes, before Sarr goes down in the box under a tackle. The ref points to the corner flag in the belief that the defender poked the ball to safety, but Senegal’s players want him to consult Var because the the defender came through Sarr to get the ball. But the ref isn’t changing his mind.