Algeria made a powerful statement of intent at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 as captain Riyad Mahrez scored twice in a commanding 3–0 victory over Sudan in their opening Group E match at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
The Desert Foxes needed just 82 seconds to announce themselves, with Mahrez delighting the overwhelmingly Algerian crowd of 16,115 after finishing off a beautifully worked move initiated by Mohamed Amoura and cleverly assisted by Hicham Boudaoui’s back-heel.
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Algeria controlled proceedings with confidence, flair and attacking precision, much to the joy of the fans — including legendary French football icon Zinedine Zidane, who watched from the stands as his son Luca Zidane guarded the Algerian goal.
Sudan briefly threatened, forcing Luca Zidane into a smart save from Yaser Awad Boshara, but their hopes diminished six minutes before halftime when Salaheldin Adil received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Rayan Aït-Nouri, leaving Sudan with ten men.
Algeria thought they had doubled their lead shortly after with a Ramy Bensebaini effort, but the goal was ruled out for offside. The second did arrive in the 61st minute, however, as Mahrez finished calmly following a sublime outside-of-the-boot pass from Amoura — taking his AFCON goal tally to eight in his sixth tournament appearance.
Mahrez left the pitch to a standing ovation before substitute Ibrahim Maza sealed the result, latching onto Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown to score in the 85th minute — Algeria’s 100th goal in AFCON history — wrapping up a dominant performance.
The victory is a major boost for Algeria, which exited the previous two AFCON tournaments at the group stage without a win. For Sudan, the defeat continues a difficult record, with just one win in 17 AFCON matches since their 1970 triumph.