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Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Algeria cruised past Sudan in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group E game in Rabat.
Five-time Premier League winner Mahrez curled in from Hicham Boudaoui’s backheel after two minutes and slotted in a second in the 61st minute from Mohamed Amoura’s through ball.
Salahedin Adil was sent off for Sudan for a second booking six minutes before the break, with Ibrahim Maza’s finish completing the scoring from Baghdad Bounedjah’s header with five minutes remaining.
Algeria are back on the hunt! 🇩🇿
Are you excited to see them in #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/hhOQf5QIVG
— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) December 24, 2025
Algeria vs Sudan: Mahrez shines
Algeria won their second Afcon title in 2019 but have exited in the group stage at the last two editions, so this dominant display represented the ideal start for former Switzerland manager Vladimir Petkovic’s side.
Amoura sent a volley against the woodwork after Mahrez’s second, while Fennecs goalkeeper Luca Zidane – son of French World Cup winner Zinedine – kept a clean sheet on the 27-year-old’s Afcon debut.
Both teams are next in action on Sunday, when Algeria face Burkina Faso – who earned an added-time comeback win over Equatorial Guinea earlier on Wednesday – and Sudan take on the National Thunder.
Algeria team vs Sudan
Granada goalkeeper Zidane started in place of first choice Alexis Guendouz, who damaged knee ligaments at the start of December.
Zidane debuted in October after switching allegiance from France and formed part of a backline against Sudan featuring Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri and Borussia Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini.
Mahrez is a Champions League winner with City and was an English champion four times with the Cityzens and once with Leicester City.
Marseille’s Amine Gouiri was out because of 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 team vs Algeria
Several of Sudan’s most experienced players are at domestic side Al-Hilal, including their most capped player in the squad, Abuaagla Abdalla, who started in midfield.
Starting defenders Mohamed Ering and Mustafa Karshoum and midfielders Abdel Raouf and Salah Adil were among Abdalla’s club teammates involved.
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 squad
Goalkeepers: Oussama Benbot (USM Alger), Luca Zidane (Granada), Anthony Mandrea (Caen).
Defenders: Rafik Belghali (Hellas Verona), Rayan Ait-Nouri (Mancester 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 squad
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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What are the host cities for 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, full 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 3, 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, 6pm)
SR6: Group C winners vs Group A/B/F third-place (Fes, 8:30pm)
Tuesday, January 6
SR7: Group E winners vs Group D runners-up (Rabat 2, 6pm)
SR8: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up (Marrakech, 8:30pm)
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)
