Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez became Algeria’s all-time leading Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) goalscorer as the Desert Warriors eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sudan in their Group E opener.
Vladimir Petkovic’s side needed just two minutes to take the lead, Mahrez finishing calmly into the bottom corner after being picked out inside the box to score his seventh AFCON goal and move clear of Lakhdar Belloumi.
Sudan, whose qualification for the finals has been hailed as a major achievement for a nation affected by ongoing civil conflict, showed early signs of resilience and briefly tested Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane through Yaser Awad.
Mahrez alongside goalkeeper Luca Zidane, son of football icon Zinedane Zidane made his AFCON debut for Algeria. Photo Credit: Imago
However, their task was made significantly harder shortly before half-time when Salaheldin Alhassan was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Algeria took full control after the break and doubled their advantage just after the hour mark. Mahrez, once again at the heart of the attack, produced a moment of quality on the edge of the penalty area, controlling a cross before drilling his shot straight down the middle of the goal.
Riyad Mahrez. Photo Credit: Imago
The match was effectively settled five minutes from time when substitute Ibrahim Maza added a third, reacting quickest to a cross and bundling the ball past Monged Elneel, who could not keep out the effort despite getting a hand to it.
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Algeria continued to create chances late on, with Jaouen Hadjam firing narrowly wide and Adil Boulbina denied in stoppage time, but the three-goal margin comfortably reflected their dominance.
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The win gives Algeria a strong start in Group E, although a sterner test awaits when they face Burkina Faso next. Sudan will look to regroup ahead of their meeting with Equatorial Guinea as they continue their first AFCON campaign since 2012.
