Proud dad Zinedine Zidane watches as Algeria starts Africa Cup with 3-0 win over Sudan
France legend Zinedine Zidane was in attendance at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat to watch his son Luca Zidane in action for Algeria as they kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over Sudan. The match saw Riyad Mahrez shine with two goals while 20-year-old Ibrahim Maza also got on the scoresheet with his first international goal.
Speaking after the game, Mahrez expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, highlighting the importance of starting the tournament with a win. He acknowledged the team’s past struggles in previous AFCON editions and emphasized the significance of a strong start this time around.
Luca Zidane, who chose to represent Algeria at the international level, impressed in goal for the Fennec Foxes, making crucial saves throughout the match. He was called into action early on to deny Sudan’s Yaser Awad and continued to showcase his shot-stopping abilities.
Despite Sudan’s resilience, they were reduced to 10 men after Salah Adil received his marching orders for a second yellow card just before halftime. This setback allowed Algeria to dominate proceedings and eventually seal the victory with goals from Mahrez and Maza.
In the earlier Group E fixture, Burkina Faso staged a dramatic comeback to defeat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 2-1. Edmond Tapsoba played a pivotal role in the turnaround, scoring the winning goal in stoppage time after Georgi Minoungou had equalized.
Looking ahead, defending champions Ivory Coast began their title defense against Mozambique, while five-time winners Cameroon faced off against Gabon in the other Group F match.
The Africa Cup of Nations promises more exciting action in the coming days, with top teams vying for continental glory. Stay updated with the latest developments from the tournament at https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations.
