Riyad Mahrez scored twice as Algeria launched their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a comfortable 3-0 Group E win over 10-man Sudan in Rabat.
The Desert Warriors were ahead within two minutes when the former Leicester and Manchester City winger ran on to Hicham Boudaoui’s clever backheel and fired past the Sudan keeper Monged Abuzaid.
The Algeria keeper Luca Zidane, son of the former Real Madrid and France superstar Zinedine Zidane, who was in the crowd at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium, did well to deny Yaser Awad as he attempted to round him. He then saved from Awad again before Abdel Raouf fired over with Sudan pushing for a way back into the game.
However, their hopes suffered a significant blow six minutes before the break when the midfielder Salah Adel was dismissed for a second bookable offence after a challenge on Manchester City’s Rayan Aït-Nouri.
Monged was beaten for a second time with 61 minutes gone when Mahrez accepted Mohamed Amoura’s fine pass and stepped inside the defender Mustafa Karshoum before finding the back of the net. The substitute Ibrahim Maza completed the scoring with his first senior international goal from Baghdad Bounedjah’s knock-down five minutes from time.
Earlier in 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 snatch the points.
The Stallions dominated the first half of the opening Group E encounter at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, with Sunderland’s Bertrand Traoré and Brentford’s Dango Ouattara causing problems down the flanks, but ultimately had nothing to show for their efforts at the break.
Equatorial Guinea’s problems mounted within five minutes of the restart when the defender Basilio Ndong was dismissed after a review of his clumsy challenge on Bertrand Traoré. Jesús Owono, the Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper, had to save from Ouattara after he had been played in by Gustavo Sangaré.
Lassina Traoré, on as a substitute, had a 71st-minute strike ruled out for offside as Burkina Faso piled on the pressure, but Marvin Anieboh put their opponents ahead against the run of play with a firm header from Carlos Akapo’s 85th-minute corner.
However, there was a sting in the tail when Georgi Minoungou, who had also come off the bench, levelled five minutes into added time after Ouattara had carved his way into the box. Tapsoba then headed home the winner three minutes later after Owono had palmed away Cyriaque Irié’s cross.