Algeria started the U-20 African Handball Championship with a hard-fought 31-30 win over Congo at the Bk Arena thanks to the last-gasp penalty.
Congo, who was physically strong, led the tight game in the first half with a 14-12 win at break.
However, Algerians fighting spirit led the game to a volatile and even score in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
With five minutes remaining on the clock, the Maghreb team overturned the score at 28-27 before having a winning penalty on the last second to end with a 31-30 victory.
Algeria team will be back in action on Monday against neighbors Libya at 3 pm, while Congo will take on Egypt at 5 pm.
Other Monday fixtures are Group A’s Angola vs Tunisia at 1 pm and Morocco vs Rwanda at 7 pm.
The top four teams from this tournament will directly qualify for the 2023 Men’s Junior World Handball Championship to be jointly hosted by Germany and Greece in next summer.
