Congo's head coach Fabrizio Cesana was left frustrated with his side's wastefulness in front of goal as they failed to win their second Group A match at the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following their 1-1 draw with debutants Somalia in Algiers on Tuesday night.

Cesana said they had a myriad of opportunities to put the tie to bed, but they couldn't get their composure right in the final third.

"Everyone watched the match and I could not count the attempts we had in front of goal. In football, when you don't convert your chances, you are punished. We played well and created chances, but we just couldn't score. This is a thing that we need to discuss with the players," the coach said after the match.

Despite the draw, the coach says they will mount a good challenge when they face Algeria in their final group stage match on Friday as they look to clinch the single available automatic ticket to the quarter finals.

"We failed to get the victory today, but we are still going to strive to qualify. Winning against Somalia was within our reach, but we did not do it. Now we focus on the next match and seek to get three points," he said.

He says his side will have to be at their best against Algeria, especially after they lost 3-0 against Senegal and will be keen to bounce back.

A victory for Congo against Algeria will hoist them into second place which is coach Cesana's target.