Riyad Mahrez walked off the Moulay Hassan pitch wearing a broad smile, his brace and Man of the Match award symbolising Algeria’s fresh start at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
The captain’s double in a 3–0 win against Sudan delivered Algeria’s first AFCON finals triumph since their 2019 title in Cairo and eased the pressure that had built in recent years.
For Mahrez, though, personal honours were firmly secondary. “Being named Man of the Match is a bonus. The most important thing was the victory — we showed that we have real collective strength. We had a bit of luck, and God willing, may it continue.”
His words matched the way Algeria started, with the winger finishing calmly inside two minutes after a precise pass from Hicham Boudaoui to stun Sudan early.
Sudan’s hopes faded further when Salah El-Din Adel saw red before half-time, and Mahrez struck again on 61 minutes from Mohamed Amine Amoura’s clever assist.
Substitute Ibrahim Maza added a late third from Baghdad Bounedjah’s pass, sealing a night that Mahrez will remember less for his own numbers and more for what it says about Algeria’s renewed belief.
