Post by : Meena Ariff

Captain Riyad Mahrez scored in each half as the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Algeria eased to a comfortable 3-0 win over a 10-man Sudan side in their opening game of the 2025 AFCON tournament.

Mahrez opened the scoring for Algeria on Wednesday just 82 seconds into the match, thrilling the majority of the 16,115-strong crowd at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, where Algerian fans made up the vast majority of the supporters.

The former Manchester City winger, now playing for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, scored his second goal shortly after the hour mark. Later, substitute Ibrahim Maza sealed the win with a late goal, marking a perfect start for Algeria in Group E.

Among the spectators in the Moroccan capital was football legend Zinedine Zidane, whose parents hail from Algeria. Zidane’s presence was warmly received by the Algerian fans, especially as his son Luca was starting in goal for the Desert Foxes. When Zidane’s image appeared on the big screens, the crowd erupted with cheers, delighted to witness their team’s commanding performance.

Algeria, who were eliminated in the first round without a win in each of the previous two AFCON tournaments, wasted no time in breaking the deadlock against the group outsiders Sudan.

Just over a minute into the match, Mohamed Amoura delivered a ball across the penalty box that was cleverly back-heeled by Hicham Boudaoui to set up Mahrez, who controlled the ball before firing it into the net.

Sudan had a chance to equalize when their player Yaser Awad Boshara was in front of goal, but Zidane made a crucial save to keep Algeria’s lead intact.

However, Sudan’s hopes suffered a major blow when Salaheldin Adil was sent off six minutes before halftime after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Shortly after, Algeria had a goal disallowed for offside when Ramy Bensebaini found the net. But Mahrez extended the lead in the 61st minute, brilliantly finishing after receiving an outside-of-the-boot assist from Amoura.

This marked Mahrez’s eighth goal in the AFCON tournament as he made his sixth appearance. He was given a standing ovation by Algerian fans as he was substituted late in the match.

In the closing stages, substitute Ibrahim Maza of Bayer Leverkusen converted Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown with five minutes left on the clock. His goal was Algeria’s 100th in AFCON history, making it 3-0.

Sudan, who last won the Cup of Nations in 1970, have now managed only one victory in their last 17 appearances at the tournament.

Earlier in Group E, Burkina Faso clinched a dramatic 2-1 victory against 10-man Equatorial Guinea in a thrilling late comeback.

Despite being a man down early in the second half, Equatorial Guinea shocked the home crowd by taking the lead in the 85th minute through substitute Marvin Anieboh’s header. It looked like another upset in line with their surprising performances in recent AFCON editions.

Burkina Faso pushed hard to respond and found an equalizer in the fifth minute of stoppage time through Georgi Minoungou after their Premier League attackers Dango Ouattara and Bertrand Traore had missed several chances.

The match turned decisively when Equatorial Guinea’s Basilio Ndiong was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Traore early in the second half.

Burkina Faso had the advantage for much of the second half, but some of their efforts, including a goal by substitute Lassina Traore, were ruled offside.

With eight minutes of injury time added, Burkina Faso maintained pressure. In the dying seconds, a cross from Cyriaque Irie was parried by Equatorial Guinea’s goalkeeper Jesus Owono, landing on the head of defender Edmond Tapsoba, who scored the winning goal.

Equatorial Guinea, the second smallest country in the tournament, had been a sensation in the last AFCON by upsetting hosts Ivory Coast 4-0 in the group stage and topping their group before exiting in the last 16.

Algeria and Burkina Faso’s wins give them a strong start in Group E, with both teams looking to build momentum for the rest of the tournament.

#Global News #Sports News #World News