Riyad Mahrez etched his name into Algeria’s history books as the nation’s all-time leading Africa Cup of Nations goalscorer, scoring twice in a convincing 3–0 victory over Sudan in their Group E opener at AFCON 2025.

Under pressure to reassert themselves as genuine contenders following mixed recent campaigns, Vladimir Petkovic’s side made the perfect start. Mahrez opened the scoring inside two minutes, latching onto a clever backheel from Hicham Boudaoui before rifling a precise left-footed finish beyond Monged Elneel. The strike was his seventh at AFCON, taking him clear of Lakhdar Belloumi.

Despite the early setback, Sudan responded positively and created several promising moments. Yaser Awad came closest, twice breaking through down the right flank only to be denied by Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, who stood firm to preserve the lead.

Algeria struggled to build on their opener for much of the first half, finding themselves frustrated by a disciplined Sudan side organised by James Kwesi Appiah. The Falcons of Jediane looked capable of forcing an equaliser, but their momentum was halted just before the interval when Salaheldin Alhassan received a second yellow card for a foul on Rayan Aït-Nouri.

The Desert Warriors pressed for a decisive second goal after the restart, with chances falling to Fares Chaïbi and Baghdad Bounedjah. It was Mahrez, however, who delivered once more. The 34-year-old timed his run perfectly to meet Mohamed Amoura’s pass before calmly slotting home to double Algeria’s advantage.

Elneel produced a fine save to deny Amoura shortly afterwards, and the Wolfsburg forward then rattled the post with a powerful volley. Sudan’s resistance finally ended late on when substitute Ibrahim Maza completed the scoring, reacting quickest to Bounedjah’s headed knockdown to finish from close range.

In the end, Algeria cruised to all three points without needing to hit top gear. Sudan, whose presence at the tournament is remarkable given the country’s ongoing civil conflict, showed admirable spirit but lacked the firepower to truly trouble Petkovic’s side.

Algeria will face a sterner test when they take on Burkina Faso on Sunday, while Sudan shift focus to their next Group E encounter against Equatorial Guinea.