Riyad Mahrez’s brace powered Algeria to a 3-0 victory over 10-man Sudan, kicking off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in style at Stade Prince Moulay El Hassan.
Mahrez struck before and after Salah Adil was sent off in the 39th minute for a second bookable offense following a reckless challenge on Rayan Ait-Nouri. Substitute Ibrahim Maza added a late third goal, ensuring Algeria lead Group E ahead of their next clash against Burkina Faso.
Algeria wasted no time asserting control, taking the lead within two minutes when Mahrez capitalized on Hicham Boudaoui’s improvised backheel, curling a precise finish into the bottom-left corner.
Sudan tried to respond, but their hopes were dealt a blow when Adil received a second yellow card, having already been booked earlier for a needless tackle on Ramy Bensebaini.
Despite holding a numerical advantage, Algeria struggled to convert their dominance into goals. It wasn’t until the hour mark that Mahrez struck again, finishing a brilliant outside-of-the-foot pass from Mohammed Amoura.
Maza then sealed the win in the 85th minute following a headed knockdown from Baghdad Bounedjah, while Amoura also came close to adding another with a strike that rattled the post.
Elsewhere in Group E, Burkina Faso snatched a dramatic 2-1 win over Equatorial Guinea thanks to two stoppage-time goals from Georgi Minoungou and Edmond Tapsoba.
Mahrez Makes AFCON History
With his double against Sudan, Mahrez became Algeria’s all-time top scorer in AFCON history with eight goals, surpassing Lakhdar Belloumi’s six. The former Manchester City star has now scored four goals and provided two assists in his last four appearances for Algeria across all competitions.
Mahrez’s impact in the tournament extends beyond goals. He recorded team-highs for touches in the opposition box (five), total crosses (six), and pass accuracy (95%), with Algeria finishing the match with an expected goals (xG) of 1.98 compared to Sudan’s 0.32 from just five attempts.
Algeria also marked a milestone by winning their opening AFCON match for the first time since a 2-0 triumph over Kenya in 2019, maintaining their unbeaten streak in six consecutive tournament openers (W3 D3), matching a record set between 1980 and 1990 (W4 D2).
