Riyad Mahrez guided Algeria to a 3-0 victory over Sudan in their Africa Cup of Nations Group E opener, then played down any idea of responding to criticism, even as Mahrez became the country’s leading
AFCON scorer and spoke of the team’s need to build momentum for the rest of the tournament.
Algeria, who are aiming to avoid another early exit after group-stage disappointments in 2021 and 2023, struck twice through Mahrez before Ibrahim Maza added a late third goal, giving Djamel Belmadi’s side a strong platform in a group that also includes Burkina Faso.
Mahrez opened the scoring against Sudan and quickly added a second, taking personal control of the contest before Maza’s late finish confirmed a 3-0 scoreline. The result meant Algeria started AFCON 2025 in very different fashion to the previous two editions, when early dropped points disrupted their title defences.
The Al-Ahli winger’s double moved Mahrez onto eight goals at the Africa Cup of Nations, which put Mahrez clear of Lakhdar Belloumi, who had scored six. That made Mahrez Algeria’s highest scorer in the competition’s history, underlining the long-term influence Mahrez has carried for the national team on the continental stage.
Across Mahrez’s last four international appearances in all competitions, Mahrez has produced four goals and two assists. That matches Mahrez’s total goal contributions from the previous 19 games, when Mahrez registered two goals and four assists, a period that generated strong criticism before AFCON 2025.
Those earlier displays led to questions around Mahrez’s form, yet Mahrez insisted the performance against Sudan was not a personal statement. "This wasn’t about answering criticism," Mahrez told reporters. "I’m used to it. My reply is to concentrate on my game on the pitch. "
Mahrez also stressed the squad arrived with a straightforward approach for this tournament. "We came in with a clear plan to play without overthinking, to win this one and the rest of our group matches to make the path easier. " The comments reflected a focus on collective progress rather than individual narratives.
He knew. We knew. The players knew. That was going in. #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/FqDT4HTqyITotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) December 24, 2025
AFCON 2025 context for Algeria vs Sudan and Mahrez
Algeria last lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 2019, but the defence of that title collapsed at both the 2021 and 2023 tournaments, where Algeria failed to win a single match and exited at the group stage, creating heavy pressure heading into AFCON 2025.
Those campaigns began with a 0-0 draw against Sierra Leone in 2021 and a 1-1 draw versus Angola to open 2023, so Mahrez acknowledged the importance of avoiding another slow start. "The most important thing was to start with a win," Mahrez said. "The last two AFCONs, we didn’t start good. "
Mahrez explained that the squad placed huge value on changing that pattern this year. "Today, we really wanted to make it happen and we did. The focus turns immediately to Burkina Faso. We need to raise our game and be more stable for the next match. " The statement highlighted Algeria’s intent to build on this early control of Group E.
