Algeria Dominates Sudan 3-0 in AFCON Opener as Zidane Watches Son Shine

omidbasir- RABAT, Morocco – French football legend Zinedine Zidane witnessed his son, goalkeeper Luca Zidane, lead Algeria to a commanding 3-0 victory against 10-man Sudan in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.

Riyad Mahrez was the star of the match, scoring two goals, while 20-year-old Ibrahim Maza marked his international debut with a goal of his own. This strong performance positions Algeria, one of the tournament favorites, at the top of Group E.

“Starting with a win was our primary goal,” Mahrez stated. “In the past two AFCON tournaments, our starts were not ideal. We were determined to change that today, and we succeeded.”

Zidane attended the match at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, where he received enthusiastic cheers from the crowd whenever he appeared on the big screen. Luca Zidane chose to represent Algeria, honoring his grandfather’s heritage, and took advantage of an opportunity to play due to an injury to regular goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja.

Algeria wasted no time in asserting their dominance, as Mahrez netted the opening goal just two minutes into the game, assisted by the selfless play of Hicham Boudaoui. Luca Zidane was quickly called into action, making a crucial save against Yaser Awad shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, Sudan faced significant challenges, playing all their qualification matches away from home due to an ongoing civil conflict that has lasted nearly 1,000 days. Despite Algeria’s confident and intense performance, Sudan managed to create some chances, but Luca Zidane excelled in goal, thwarting attempts from Awad, while Abdel Raouf missed a key opportunity by shooting over the bar.

Things took a turn for Sudan when Salah Adil received a second yellow card shortly before halftime for a foul on Rayan Aït-Nouri, leaving them to play with ten men.

Algerian supporters, who constituted the majority in the stands, had to exercise some patience. Mohammed Amoura provided an exquisite cross with the outside of his boot that allowed Mahrez to score his second goal in the 61st minute. In the 85th minute, substitute Baghdad Bounedjah assisted Maza, who finished the scoring with a well-placed header.

This match set a positive tone for Algeria’s AFCON campaign, showcasing their potential and teamwork.