Mahrez and Diallo inspire wins for Algeria and Ivory Coast – AFCON round-up | OneFootball

Riyad Mahrez and Amad Diallo were on the scoresheet at the Africa Cup of Nations as Algeria and the Ivory Coast won their opening fixtures of the tournament.

Cameroon and Burkino Faso also earned three points as their campaigns also got underway.

Here’s everything that happened on Christmas Eve at AFCON…

Algeria 3-0 Sudan

Algeria got off the the perfect start as they look to bring back an AFCON title they last claimed in 2019.

It took just two minutes for Mahrez to open the scoring before he doubled their lead after an hour.

Ibrahim Maza sealed the three points for the north African side after 85 minutes as he coolly finished from a Baghdad Bounedjah knockdown six yards out.

Ivory Coast 1-0 Mozambique

The holders won their first match of the tournament as they look to hold onto the trophy that they won in 2023.

It was Manchester United’s Amad Diallo’s calm strike just after half-time that separated the sides in Marrakech.

Ivory Coast next face Cameroon on Sunday.

Cameroon 1-0 Gabon

It took just six minutes to open the scoring between the two sides as Karl Etta Eyong latched onto Bryan Mbeumo’s through ball before place home.

Gabon did have chances to equalise, the best coming from Royce Openda, whose shot from a tight angle was saved by Devis Epassy.

However, Gabon’s pressure would not be enough to level the scoring in the tie.

Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea

Two very late goals saw Burkina Faso turn defeat into victory in their opening match at AFCON.

When Marvin Anieboh scored for Equatorial Guinea in the 85th minute he would have though that he had earned his side all three points but that was not to be.

Injury-time strikes from Georgi Minoungou and Edmond Tapsoba turned the game on its head.

Minoungou latched onto a Dango Ouattara through ball to level in the 95th minute before Tapsoba headed home a rebound eight minutes into injury-time to win the match.