Riyad Mahrez scored twice as Algeria made an emphatic start to their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a commanding victory over Sudan in Group E.
The former Manchester City winger opened the scoring with a trademark left footed curler from inside the box, finishing off a clever backheel assist from Hicham Boudaoui to give the 2019 champions early control in Rabat.
Sudan threatened sporadically through Yaser Awad Boshara, who twice tested goalkeeper Luca Zidane, but their task became significantly harder six minutes before half time when Salah Adel was sent off for a second yellow card.
Algeria’s dominance told again just after the hour mark, when Mahrez calmly slotted home his second goal after being released by a perfectly weighted through ball from Mohamed Amoura.
The pressure continued as Amoura struck the post with a fierce volley, before Ibrahim Maza sealed the result late on, converting Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown from close range to make it 3–0. The goal marked Algeria’s 100th in Africa Cup of Nations history.
Sudan goalkeeper Monged Elneel produced two impressive saves in added time to deny substitute Adil Boulbina, preventing the scoreline from becoming more severe.
The result puts Algeria top of Group E on goal difference ahead of Burkina Faso, who defeated Equatorial Guinea earlier in the day. Vladimir Petkovic’s side remain in Rabat to face Burkina Faso next, while Sudan travel to Casablanca to take on Equatorial Guinea.
Algeria, who failed to progress beyond the group stage at the last two Afcon tournaments, looked sharp and assured under Petkovic, with the partnership between Mahrez and Amoura once again central to their attacking threat.
For Sudan, qualification alone was a significant achievement amid ongoing conflict at home, but the gap in quality, compounded by the red card, proved decisive against one of the tournament favourites.
