Captain Riyad Mahrez has scored in each half as 2019 champions Algeria have eased to a 3-0 win over 10-man Sudan in their opening game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Mahrez got the opener on Wednesday after just 82 seconds to the delight of the Algerian fans, who made up the vast majority of the 16,115-person crowd at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
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The former Manchester City winger, now with Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia, got his and his team’s second goal just after the hour mark, and Ibrahim Maza wrapped up the win late in the game as Algeria started in the best possible fashion in Group E.
Among the spectators in the Moroccan capital was France legend Zinedine Zidane, whose parents came from Algeria and whose son Luca was starting in goal for the Desert Foxes.
His appearance on big screens in the ground drew huge cheers from Algerian supporters, who were delighted to see their team produce a convincing performance.
Algeria were eliminated in the first round without a win at each of the past two AFCON tournaments but wasted no time in breaking the deadlock against the group outsiders.
The match was little more than a minute old when Mohamed Amoura’s ball across the penalty box was met by a back-heel from Hicham Boudaoui to tee up Mahrez. He took a touch before firing in.
Zidane then did well to save at the feet of Sudan’s Yaser Awad Boshara, but Algeria were by far the better side.
Sudan’s chances of getting back into the game were then severely dented when Salaheldin Adil was sent off six minutes before the interval for a second booking for chopping down Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Ramy Bensebaini had a goal disallowed for offside moments later, but Mahrez made it 2-0 on 61 minutes as he connected with a lovely outside-of-the-boot assist from Amoura.
Mahrez, appearing at his sixth AFCON, now has eight goals at the tournament. He came off to an ovation from the Algerian fans late on.
Substitute Maza of Bayer Leverkusen finished from Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown with five minutes left to score Algeria’s 100th AFCON goal and make it 3-0.
Sudan have now won just once in 17 Cup of Nations matches since lifting the trophy in 1970.
Burkina Faso in AFCON late show against Equatorial Guinea
Two goals deep in second-half stoppage time saw Burkina Faso snatch a 2-1 victory over 10-man Equatorial Guinea in the opening Group E match earlier in the day.
Despite having a man sent off early in the second half, Equatorial Guinea took a surprise lead in the 85th minute through substitute Marvin Anieboh and looked on course to pull off another of the surprise results that have characterised their performance at the last edition of the Cup of Nations.
But Burkina Faso fought back late as Georgi Minoungou scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to equalise before Bundesliga defender Edmond Tapsoba won the points with the last effort of the game.
Burkina Faso had looked the stronger of the two sides, but their Premier League attack of Dango Ouattara and Bertrand Traore squandered chances, even after Equatorial Guinea had been reduced to 10 men when Basilio Ndiong caught Traore on his heel with a dangerous tackle five minutes into the second half.
The numerical advantage handed Burkina Faso a myriad of chances at Stade Mohammed V, and they did have the ball in the net with a first touch from substitute Lassina Traore, returning to action after a long injury layoff. But his 71st-minute effort was ruled offside.
Equatorial Guinea then threatened another of their trademark upsets when Anieboh headed home from a rare corner with five minutes left.
Equatorial Guinea, who are the second smallest country at the tournament in Morocco, proved a sensation at the last AFCON finals in the Ivory Coast, upsetting the hosts 4-0 in the group stage and finishing top of their group but then losing out to Guinea in the last 16.
They were headed for another upset triumph, cleverly slowing down the game, but with eight minutes of time added on, there was still hope for Burkina Faso.
Bayer Leverkusen defender Tapsoba proved key in turning the game around, passing for Ouattara, who was felled in the box, but the loose ball was immediately swept up by Minoungou, who tucked it away from a tight angle.
With less than a minute left, Burkina Faso launched a final attack through Cyriaque Irie, whose cross from the right was parried by Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesus Owono straight onto the head of Tapsoba, who steered the winner home.
