Algeria 3-0 Sudan: Summary, result, goals as Mahrez drives AFCON 2025 victory
Riyad Mahrez netted twice as Algeria effortlessly defeated Sudan in their first 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group E match held in Rabat.
Five-time Premier League champion Mahrez scored with a curled shot after receiving a backheel from Hicham Boudaoui just two minutes in and added another in the 61st minute with a strike from Mohamed Amoura’s pass.
Sudan’s Salahedin Adil received a second yellow card and was sent off six minutes before halftime, while Ibrahim Maza’s goal, resulting from a header by Baghdad Bounedjah, capped the scoring with five minutes left to play.
Algeria is back in pursuit! Are you looking forward to seeing them in #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025? pic.twitter.com/hhOQf5QIVG— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) December 24, 2025
Algeria vs Sudan: Mahrez excels
Algeria secured their second Afcon championship in 2019, but they have been eliminated in the group phase during the last two tournaments, making this commanding performance an excellent beginning for Vladimir Petkovic, the former Switzerland coach’s squad.
Following Mahrez’s second goal, Amoura struck a volley that hit the crossbar, and Fennecs goalkeeper Luca Zidane – son of French World Cup champion Zinedine – achieved a clean sheet on his AFCON debut at the age of 27.
Both squads will be back on the field this Sunday, with Algeria playing Burkina Faso, who pulled off a comeback win over Equatorial Guinea in stoppage time earlier on Wednesday, while Sudan competes against the National Thunder.
Algeria lineup vs Sudan
Granada goalkeeper Zidane filled in for regular choice Alexis Guendouz, who suffered knee ligament damage at the beginning of December.
Zidane’s debut took place in October after switching his allegiance from France, and he was supported by a defensive lineup against Sudan consisting of Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri and Borussia Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini.
Mahrez, a Champions League champion with City, has also won four English championships with the Cityzens and one with Leicester City.
Marseille’s Amine Gouiri was unavailable due to shoulder surgery.
Algeria starting XI: Luca Zidane, Rafik Belghali, Aissa Mandi, Ramy Bensebaini, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Riyad Mahrez, Hicham Boudaoui, Fares Chaibi, Ismael Bennacer, Mohammed Amoura, Baghdad Bounedjah
Algeria substitutes: Anthony Mandrea, Mehdi Dorval, Mohamed Tougai, Zineddine Belaid, Ramiz Zerrouki, Anis Hadj Moussa, Mounsef Bakrar, Jaouen Hadjam, Oussama Benbot, Adem Zorgane, Youcef Atal, Ibrahim Maza, Ilan Kebbal, Adil Boulbina, Redouane Berkane
Sudan lineup vs Algeria
Many of Sudan’s seasoned players are part of the domestic club Al-Hilal, including the most capped player in the squad, Abuaagla Abdalla, who started in midfield.
Defenders Mohamed Ering and Mustafa Karshoum, along with midfielders Abdel Raouf and Salah Adil, were part of Abdalla’s teammates from the club.
Sudan starting XI: Monged El Neel, Yaser Awad, Mustafa Karshoum, Mohamed Ering, Bakhit Khamis, Salah Adil, Abuaagla Abdalla, Ammar Taifour, Abdel Raouf, Mohamed Eisa, Abo Eisa
Sudan substitutes: Ali Abu Eshrein, Altayeb Abdelrazig, Walieldin Khdir, Yasir Mozamil, Mohamed Abdelrahman, John Mano, Mohamed Abooja, Mazin Mohamedein, Awad Zayed, Ahmed Tabanja, Al Gozoli Nooh, Mohamed Kesra, Sheddy Barglan, Aamir Abdallah, Mohamed Tia Asad
Algeria AFCON 2025 roster
Goalkeepers: Oussama Benbot (USM Alger), Luca Zidane (Granada), Anthony Mandrea (Caen).
Defenders: Rafik Belghali (Hellas Verona), Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City), Youcef Atal (Al-Sadd), Mehdi Dorval (Bari), Jaouen Hadjam (Young Boys), Zineddine Belaid (JS Kabylie), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), Samir Chergui (Paris FC), Aissa Mandi (Lille), Mohamed Amine Tougai (Esperance).
Midfielders: Ismael Bennacer (Dinamo Zagreb), Ramiz Zerrouki (FC Twente), Adem Zorgane (Union Saint-Gilloise), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice), Fares Chaibi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen), Himad Abdelli (Angers).
Forwards: Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg), Ilan Kebbal (Paris FC), Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli), Anis Hadj Moussa (Feyenoord), Adil Boulbina (Al-Duhail), Monsef Bakrar (Dinamo Zagreb), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al-Shamal), Redouane Berkane (Al-Wakrah).
Sudan AFCON 2025 roster
Goalkeepers: Ali Aboeshren (Al Hilal), Mohamed Abooja (Al Merrikh), Monged Elneel (El Merreikh Juba).
Defenders: Altayeb Abaker (Al Hilal), Yasser Awad Boshara (Al Hilal), Mohamed Kasri Hakeem (Jamus), Bakhit Khamis (Al Ahli Tripoli), Mustapha Kharshom (Al Hilal), Mazin Mohamedin (Al Akhdar), Mohamed Saeed Ahmed (Al Hilal), Ahmed Tabanja (Al Merrikh), Awad Zaid (Al Merrikh).
Midfielders: Aamir Abdallah (Avondale), Mohamed Abuaagla (Al Hilal), Salahedin Adil (Al Hilal), Sheddy Barglan (FC Den Bosch), Musa Ali Hussain (Al Merrikh), Walieldin Khidir (Al Hilal), Abdelrazig Omer (Al Hilal), Amar Taifour (CS Sfaxien).
Forwards: Mohamed Abderahman (Al Hilal), Abo Eisa (Chonburi), Al-Gozoli Nooh (Al Merrikh), Mo Eisa (Uthai Thani), John Mano (Al Akhdar), Yasir Mozamil (Al Hilal), Muhamed Tia Asad (Al Merrikh).
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Which cities will host AFCON 2025?
Agadir – Grand Stade d’Agadir (capacity – 41,144)
Casablanca – Complexe Sportif Mohammed V (45,000)
Fes – Complexe Sportif de Fes (35,468)
Marrakech – Grand Stade de Marrakech (41,245)
Rabat – Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah (69,500)
Rabat – Stade Al Barid (18,000)
Rabat – Stade Olympique Annexe Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah (21,000)
Rabat – Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay EL Hassan (22,000)
Tangier – Grand Stade de Tanger (75,600)
AFCON 2025 fixtures, complete Africa Cup of Nations schedule
Sunday, December 21 2025
Group A: Morocco 2-0 Comoros (Rabat)
Monday, December 22 2025
Group A: Mali 1-1 Zambia (Casablanca)
Group B: South Africa 2-1 Angola (Marrakech)
Group B: Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe (Agadir)
Tuesday, December 23 2025
Group D: Senegal 3-0 Botswana (Tangier)
Group D: DR Congo 1-0 Benin (Rabat)
Group C: Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania (Fes)
Group C: Tunisia 3-1 Uganda (Rabat)
Wednesday, December 24 2025
Group E: Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea (Casablanca)
Group E: Algeria 3-0 Sudan (Rabat)
Group F: Ivory Coast vs Mozambique (Marrakech, 17:30)
Group F: Cameroon vs Gabon (Agadir, 20:00)
Friday, December 26 2025
Group B: Angola vs Zimbabwe (Marrakech, 12:30)
Group B: Egypt vs South Africa (Agadir, 15:00)
Group A: Zambia vs Comoros (Casablanca, 17:30)
Group A: Morocco vs Mali (Rabat, 20:00)
Saturday, December 27 2025
Group D: Benin vs Botswana (Rabat, 12:30)
Group D: Senegal vs DR Congo (Tangier, 15:00)
Group C: Uganda vs Tanzania (Rabat, 17:30)
Group C: Nigeria vs Tunisia (Fes, 20:00)
Sunday, December 28 2025
Group F: Gabon vs Mozambique (Agadir, 12:30)
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Sudan (Casablanca, 15:00)
Group E: Algeria vs Burkina Faso (Rabat, 17:30)
Group F: Ivory Coast vs Cameroon (Marrakech, 20:00)
Monday, December 29 2025
Group B: Angola vs Egypt (Agadir, 16:00)
Group B: Zimbabwe vs South Africa (Marrakech, 16:00)
Group A: Comoros vs Mali (Casablanca, 19:00)
Group A: Zambia vs Morocco (Rabat, 19:00)
Tuesday, December 30 2025
Group C: Tanzania vs Tunisia (Rabat, 16:00)
Group C: Uganda vs Nigeria (Fes, 16:00)
Group D: Benin vs Senegal (Tangier, 19:00)
Group D: Botswana vs DR Congo (Rabat, 19:00)
Wednesday, December 31 2025
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Algeria (Rabat, 16:00)
Group E: Sudan vs Burkina Faso (Casablanca, 16:00)
Group F: Gabon vs Ivory Coast (Marrakech, 19:00)
Group F: Mozambique vs Cameroon (Agadir, 19:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 round of 16
Saturday, January 3 2026
SR1: Group D winners vs Group B/E/F third-place (Tangier, 16:00)
SR2: Group A runners-up vs Group C runners-up (Casablanca, 19:00)
Sunday, January 4
SR3: Group A winners vs Group C/D/E third-place (Rabat, 16:00)
SR4: Group B runners-up vs Group F runners-up (Rabat, 19:00)
Monday, January 5
SR5: Group B winners vs Group A/C/D third-place (Agadir, 18:00)
SR6: Group C winners vs Group A/B/F third-place (Fes, 20:30)
Tuesday, January 6
SR7: Group E winners vs Group D runners-up (Rabat, 18:00)
SR8: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up (Marrakech, 20:30)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 quarter-finals
Friday, January 9
QF1: Winner SR2 vs Winner SR1 (Tangier, 16:00)
QF2: Winner SR4 vs Winner SR3 (Rabat, 19:00)
Saturday, January 10
QF3: Winner SR7 vs Winner SR6 (Marrakech, 16:00)
QF4: Winner SR5 vs Winner SR8 (Agadir, 19:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semi-finals
Wednesday, January 14
SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4 (Tangier, 17:00)
SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF2 (Rabat, 20:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 third-place match
Saturday, January 17
SF1 vs SF2 losers (Casablanca, 16:00)
Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final
Sunday, January 18
SF1 vs SF2 winners (Rabat, 19:00)
Published: 2025-12-24 17:26:00
source: www.101greatgoals.com
