Mahrez brace powers Algeria to 3-0 win over Sudan

Captain Riyad Mahrez scored in each half as former champions Algeria opened their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Sudan on Wednesday.

Algeria took the lead just 82 seconds into the match when Mahrez found the net, sending the largely Algerian crowd of 16,115 at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat into celebration.

The former Manchester City winger, now playing for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, doubled Algeria’s advantage shortly after the hour mark with his second goal of the game. Ibrahim Maza later sealed the win with a late strike, ensuring a comfortable outing for the Desert Foxes in Group E.

Sudan’s task became more difficult after they were reduced to 10 men, allowing Algeria to control the game and ease to victory.

Also present among the spectators in the Moroccan capital was France legend Zinedine Zidane, whose parents are of Algerian origin. Zidane’s son, Luca, was in goal for Algeria during the match.

His appearance on big screens in the ground drew huge cheers from Algerian supporters who will have been delighted to see their team produce a convincing performance.

“I am happy to have got the three points. It is a long time since we did that at the AFCON so the main thing for us was to win today,” said Mahrez.

“As a team we want to get to the final. We have not come here to make up the numbers.”

He added: “I have enough experience to know that this is just one match and we need to keep our feet on the ground.”

Algeria were eliminated in the first round without a win at each of the last two AFCON tournaments but wasted no time in breaking the deadlock against the group outsiders.

The match was little over a minute old when Mohamed Amoura’s ball across the penalty box was met by a back-heel from Hicham Boudaoui to tee up Mahrez. He took a touch before firing in.

Zidane then did well to save at the feet of Sudan’s Yaser Awad Boshara but Algeria were by far the better side.

Sudan’s chances of getting back into the game were then severely dented when Salaheldin Adil was sent off six minutes before the interval for a second booking for chopping down Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Ramy Bensebaini had a goal disallowed for offside moments later but Mahrez made it 2-0 on 61 minutes as he connected with a lovely outside-of-the-boot assist from Amoura.

Mahrez, appearing at his sixth AFCON, now has eight goals at the tournament, an Algerian record. He came off to an ovation from fans late on.

Substitute Maza, of Bayer Leverkusen, finished from Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown with five minutes left to score Algeria’s 100th AFCON goal and make it 3-0.

Sudan have now won just once in 17 Cup of Nations matches since lifting the trophy in 1970.

Earlier in the same group, Burkina Faso came from behind to beat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 2-1 thanks to two goals deep in injury time in Casablanca.

Basilio Ndong was sent off just after half-time for Equatorial Guinea but they looked set to win the game when substitute Marvin Anieboh headed in on 85 minutes.

However, Georgi Minoungou equalised in the fifth added minute before Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba grabbed a dramatic 98th-minute winner.

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