Riyad Mahrez warned Algeria not to get carried away even as they made one of the most emphatic starts to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Captain Mahrez scored in each half as 2019 champions Algeria eased to a 3-0 win over 10-man Sudan in Rabat.
Mahrez got the opener after just 82 seconds to the delight of the Algerian fans who made up the vast majority of the 16,115 crowd at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
Now with Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, Mahrez got his and his team's second goal just after the hour mark and Ibrahim Maza wrapped up the win late on as Algeria started in the best possible fashion.
“I’m happy we got the three points, it’s been a long time since we’ve done that at Afcon,” Mahrez said.
“We didn’t necessarily play well, but we won, and that’s what matters. We need to step up our game in four days. I have enough experience to know we shouldn’t get carried away.”
Those words of caution framed a night that underlined both Algeria’s renewed authority on the continental stage and the fine margins facing defending champions Ivory Coast, who also opened with victory but in far less commanding fashion.
Algeria's start breathed fresh life into a tournament that has twice recently ended in frustration for the Desert Foxes, eliminated without a win at the group stage in 2021 and 2023. Former Manchester City winger Mahrez was central to that revival, becoming the third player at this Afcon to score a brace.
Ivory Coast, meanwhile, were forced to dig deep in wet conditions in Marrakesh as Amad Diallo’s second-half strike earned a narrow 1-0 Group F victory over Mozambique. The Manchester United winger’s intervention maintained the Elephants’ ambition of becoming the first nation since Egypt in 2010 to defend the African title successfully. Still, the performance was a reminder that the path ahead will be demanding.
Diallo broke Mozambique’s resistance shortly after the interval, firing home from close range after a cross was headed into his path. It was a decisive moment in a match dominated by organisation and discipline from the Mozambicans, whose long wait for an Afcon victory continues. Since their tournament debut in 1986, they have now gone 16 matches without a win, drawing four and losing 12.
Mozambique’s night also carried a historic footnote as 42-year-old Elias ‘Domingues’ Pelembe came off the bench to become the second-oldest player to feature at the Cup of Nations, behind only Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary.
While Ivory Coast ground out their win, Algeria dazzled early. Mahrez struck after just 82 seconds at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, delighting a crowd overwhelmingly clad in green and white. Mohamed Amoura’s low cross was cleverly flicked by Hicham Boudaoui into Mahrez’s path, and the winger took a touch before firing home to set the tone.
Among the spectators was Zinedine Zidane, whose parents hailed from Algeria and whose son Luca started in goal for the Desert Foxes. The appearance of the France legend on the stadium’s big screen sparked roars of approval from supporters.
Sudan’s task became even harder when Salaheldin Adil was dismissed six minutes before half-time for a second bookable offence, scything down Rayan Ait-Nouri. Algeria continued to dominate, and Mahrez doubled his tally just after the hour mark, connecting with an elegant outside-of-the-boot assist from Amoura to make it 2-0.
Mahrez, appearing at his sixth Afcon and now with eight tournament goals to his name, was withdrawn late on to a standing ovation. His replacement, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza, completed the scoring five minutes from time, finishing from Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown to bring up Algeria’s 100th goal in Afcon history.
Elsewhere, Cameroon edged a fiery central African encounter with Gabon 1-0 in Agadir thanks to Karl Etta Eyong’s sixth-minute strike, which slipped between the legs of goalkeeper Loyce Mbaba. The victory provided a solid platform in Group F, where Cameroon and Gabon will both next face Ivory Coast.
In Casablanca, Burkina Faso produced the drama of the day, scoring twice deep into added time to overturn Equatorial Guinea 2-1 despite being held at bay for much of the match. Equatorial Guinea, reduced to 10 men after Basilio Ndong’s dismissal early in the second half, appeared on course for victory when substitute Marvin Anieboh headed in on 85 minutes.
But Georgi Minoungou levelled in the fifth minute of stoppage time before Edmond Tapsoba struck a remarkable winner in the 98th minute. “Being named Man of the Match is a bonus,” Tapsoba said. “The most important thing was the victory. We showed we have real collective strength.”
As the first round of group matches concluded, the early signs pointed to a familiar blend of favourites asserting themselves and underdogs refusing to yield. For Algeria, Mahrez’s message was clear: momentum has been built, but the real tests are still to come.
