Riyad Mahrez Stars as Algeria Crush 10-Man Sudan 3-0 in AFCON 2025 Group E Opener

Captain Riyad Mahrez led Algeria to a dominant 3-0 victory over 10-man Sudan in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations, signaling a strong start for the 2019 champions. Mahrez opened the scoring just 82 seconds into the game at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, delighting the large contingent of Algerian fans among the 16,115 spectators. The winger, formerly of Manchester City and now with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, added a second goal shortly after the hour mark, before Ibrahim Maza sealed the victory with a late strike, giving Algeria a comfortable win in Group E.

Among the crowd was French football legend Zinedine Zidane, whose parents are Algerian. His son, Luca Zidane, started in goal for Algeria, and the appearance of the family on stadium big screens drew loud cheers from supporters. Mahrez emphasized the team’s focus on long-term goals, saying the main objective was securing the win and that the squad is aiming for the final rather than merely participating. He acknowledged the importance of maintaining perspective, noting that experience has taught him that one victory is just the start of a much longer campaign.

Algeria’s emphatic performance was a stark contrast to their last two AFCON outings, where they were eliminated in the group stage without a win. By taking control early and breaking the deadlock against Sudan, Algeria demonstrated both their attacking prowess and intent to compete strongly in the tournament.