Riyad Mahrez was the driving force as Algeria opened their AFCON 2025 campaign with a routine 3-0 victory over Sudan at the Stade Prince Moulay El Hassan.
The former Manchester City winger struck twice on either side of half-time, before substitute Ibrahim Maza added a late third to seal a comfortable win that sent the Desert Foxes top of Group E.
Algeria wasted little time asserting their authority, needing just two minutes to break the deadlock. Mahrez latched onto Hicham Boudaoui’s clever backheel and curled a precise finish into the bottom-left corner.
Sudan attempted to respond, but their task became significantly harder when Salah Adil was dismissed just before the interval for a second bookable offence, following a mistimed challenge on Rayan Ait-Nouri after an earlier caution for fouling Ramy Bensebaini.
Despite their numerical advantage, Algeria initially struggled to turn control into clear chances, with Monged El Neel denying Baghdad Bounedjah from close range shortly before the hour mark.
The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 60th minute when Mohammed Amoura’s exquisite outside-of-the-foot pass released Mahrez, who took a touch before calmly slotting home his second of the night.
Sudan’s resistance finally gave way late on as Maza fired in from Bounedjah’s headed knockdown, with Amoura also rattling the post from a well-worked corner routine.
Mahrez’s brace saw him become Algeria’s outright leading scorer in AFCON history with eight goals, moving clear of Lakhdar Belloumi, and capped another influential display that showed his importance to Djamel Belmadi’s side.
The result marked Algeria’s first opening-match win at the tournament since 2019 and extended their unbeaten run in AFCON openers to six games, setting a confident tone ahead of their next group clash with Burkina Faso.
Olaoluwa is a dedicated sports writer and passionate football enthusiast with two years of experience. Known for his keen analysis and commitment to the game, his work reflects a deep love for football, blending strategic insight with the emotional moments that make it a global passion. He is focused on honing his skills and consistently aims to inspire and engage readers through every article he writes.
