Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Algeria launched their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a confident 3-0 victory against Sudan in Rabat.
Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Algeria launched their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a confident 3-0 victory against Sudan in Rabat.
The 2019 champions, eliminated at the first hurdle in the two most recent tournaments, went in front when the 34-year-old curled a trademark left-foot finish beyond Monged Elneel after Hicham Boudaoui’s inventive backheel created space.
Sudan briefly threatened through Yaser Awad Boshara, who twice drew saves from Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane. Their evening, however, deteriorated when Salah Adel collected a second yellow card and was dismissed six minutes before halftime.
Mahrez later doubled the advantage shortly after the interval, slotting in calmly from Mohamed Amoura’s astute pass. Wolfsburg forward Amoura nearly added a third soon after, smashing a volley against the upright.
With time running down, substitute Ibrahim Maza guided in from close range after Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown, registering Algeria’s 100th goal in the history of the competition.
New coach Vladimir Petkovic, appointed after Djamel Belmadi’s departure following Algeria’s 2023 disappointment, watched his side dominate in front of a passionate crowd inside the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
Having steered Algeria to the 2026 World Cup, Petkovic again saw the productive link between Mahrez and Amoura prove decisive. The margin allowed him to substitute Mahrez with 12 minutes to go, conserving energy for the upcoming fixtures.
Zidane — son of France icon Zinedine — appeared composed in only his second competitive start, having switched international allegiance earlier this year. He was brought in after first-choice keeper Alexis Guendouz suffered a knee injury.
The result places Algeria at the top of Group E on goal difference ahead of Burkina Faso, who edged Equatorial Guinea 2-1. Next up is a meeting with the Stallions on Sunday in the same city, with Sudan heading to Casablanca to take on Equatorial Guinea.
Merely reaching the finals stands as an achievement for Sudan, who have been forced to play away from home due to conflict in Khartoum since April 2023.
Coach James Kwesi Appiah may feel aggrieved by the first booking shown to Adel, appearing to contest what many might consider a soft caution for contact with Ramy Bensebaini.
However, once reduced to 10 players, the gulf between the sides — separated by 83 places in the FIFA rankings — became evident. Despite Elneel’s late saves from Adil Boulbina, Sudan could not resist Algeria’s pressure.
The North Africans, who cheered loudly throughout every forward move, finished with a scoreline that underlined their authority and justified their status among the pre-tournament contenders.
