Afcon roundup: Algeria beat 10-man Sudan and Côte d’Ivoire begin defence with win | Africa Cup of Nations 2025

Riyad Mahrez scored twice as Algeria launched their Africa Cup of Nations marketing campaign with a snug 3-0 Group E win over 10-man Sudan in Rabat.

The Desert Warriors have been forward inside two minutes when the previous Leicester and Manchester Metropolis winger ran on to Hicham Boudaoui’s intelligent backheel and fired previous the Sudan keeper Monged Abuzaid.

The Algeria keeper Luca Zidane, son of the previous Actual Madrid and France celebrity Zinedine Zidane, who was within the crowd on the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, did effectively to disclaim Yaser Awad as he tried to spherical him. He then saved from Awad once more earlier than Abdel Raouf fired over with Sudan pushing for a means again into the sport.

Nevertheless, their hopes suffered a major blow six minutes earlier than the break when the midfielder Salah Adel was dismissed for a second bookable offence after a problem on Manchester Metropolis’s Rayan Aït-Nouri.

Monged was crushed for a second time with 61 minutes gone when Mahrez accepted Mohamed Amoura’s high-quality cross and stepped contained in the defender Mustafa Karshoum earlier than discovering the again of the web. The substitute Ibrahim Maza accomplished the scoring together with his first senior worldwide objective from Baghdad Bounedjah’s knock-down 5 minutes from time.

Earlier within the day, Edmond Tapsoba headed Burkina Faso to a dramatic 2-1 victory over 10-man Equatorial Guinea as they struck twice in stoppage time to grab the factors.

The Stallions dominated the primary half of the opening Group E encounter on the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, with Sunderland’s Bertrand Traoré and Brentford’s Dango Ouattara inflicting issues down the flanks, however in the end had nothing to point out for his or her efforts on the break.

Equatorial Guinea’s issues mounted inside 5 minutes of the restart when the defender Basilio Ndong was dismissed after a assessment of his clumsy problem on Bertrand Traoré. Jesús Owono, the Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper, needed to save from Ouattara after he had been performed in by Gustavo Sangaré.

Lassina Traoré, on in its place, had a 71st-minute strike dominated out for offside as Burkina Faso piled on the stress, however Marvin Anieboh put their opponents forward in opposition to the run of play with a agency header from Carlos Akapo’s Eighty fifth-minute nook.

Nevertheless, there was a sting within the tail when Georgi Minoungou, who had additionally come off the bench, levelled 5 minutes into added time after Ouattara had carved his means into the field. Tapsoba then headed dwelling the winner three minutes later after Owono had palmed away Cyriaque Irié’s cross.

Côte d’Ivoire, the holders, squandered plenty of probabilities however Amad Diallo’s objective early within the second half was sufficient to beat Mozambique 1-0. Within the opening Group F recreation in Morocco, the Ivorians battled to interrupt down their opponents in a aggressive first half however took agency management after the break with out changing the various probabilities they created.

Diallo side-footed the ball into the web within the forty ninth minute to make sure the three-point haul in wet circumstances however the scoreline would have been much more emphatic had the Ivorians been sharper in entrance of objective.

Wilfried Zaha, taking part in his first worldwide in additional than two years after his shock recall for the Cup of Nations finals, wasted a number of probabilities and Franck Kessie had two-point-blank efforts saved by the Mozambique goalkeeper Ernan.

The Ivorian substitute Vakoun Bayo additionally had a chance with a simple header in entrance of objective however one way or the other put it vast and within the 89th minute Bayo had an effort cleared off the road with Ernan caught effectively out of his objective. Mozambique introduced on the winger Dominguez as a second-half substitute on the age of 42 years, one month and 6 days, turning into the oldest outfield participant in event historical past, behind solely the previous Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who was 44 when he performed within the 2017 ultimate.

Mozambique are nonetheless to win a match on the finals, stretching again to their event debut in 1986. That is their sixth look, with a file of 4 attracts and 12 losses.

Cameroon put apart latest woes to open their Africa Cup of Nations marketing campaign with a 1-0 victory over neighbours Gabon on Wednesday as Karl Etta Eyong’s early objective secured a much-needed win.

The Spanish-based striker squeezed his shot below Gabon goalkeeper Loyce Mbaba within the sixth minute after being arrange by Bryan Mbeumo, the objective confirmed after a VAR verify.

Cameroon put apart latest woes to open their Africa Cup of Nations marketing campaign with a 1-0 victory over their neighbours Gabon as Karl Etta Eyong’s early objective secured a much-needed win. The Spanish-based striker squeezed his shot below Loyce Mbaba within the sixth minute after being arrange by Bryan Mbeumo, the objective confirmed after a video assistant referee verify.

Cameroon fired Marc Brys as coach three weeks in the past and left the goalkeeper André Onana out of the squad for the event, having missed out on World Cup qualification final month. However they are going to be happy with a successful begin in a fast-tempo recreation during which they did have the higher of the probabilities.

Mbeumo was significantly efficient, establishing a number of probabilities for teammates, the perfect of which Junior Tchamadeu blasted vast of goal early within the second half. The substitute Frank Magri headed in opposition to the Gabon crossbar 11 minutes from the top in one other good alternative for the Indomitable Lions.

Gabon began with out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who solely joined up together with his teammates in Morocco this week after struggling a thigh harm, however each he and Mario Lemina have been introduced on in an early double substitution within the thirty second minute as Gabon regarded to get again into the match. Denis Bouanga had a handful of half-chances however Aubameyang was largely ineffectual for Gabon.