Diallo and Mahrez Excel in AFCON Victories for Ivory Coast and Algeria
Amad Diallo and Riyad Mahrez delivered standout performances as the title holders Ivory Coast and past champions Algeria secured different kinds of triumphs on Wednesday, wrapping up the initial phase of African Cup of Nations (AFCON) group fixtures in Morocco.
Manchester United's Diallo netted soon after the break with a shot from close range, securing a gritty 1-0 Group F success for the Ivorians against Mozambique amid rainy conditions in Marrakesh.
Prior to that, Algeria dominated with a 3-0 Group E result over Sudan reduced to ten players in Rabat, where the former Manchester City winger Mahrez joined the select group of players with two goals in the competition.
In other action, Cameroon grabbed a narrow 1-0 victory against Gabon in Agadir thanks to an early strike from Karl Etta Eyong, while Burkina Faso overturned the scoreline with a pair of late goals to defeat Equatorial Guinea 2-1 in Casablanca.
Ivory Coast, set to play Cameroon and Gabon next in the group, hopes to replicate Egypt's feat from 2010 as the first team to retain the top African football crown.
The loss extended Mozambique's wait for an AFCON win, having tied four games and dropped 12 since entering in 1986.
Mozambique's substitute winger Elias 'Domingues' Pelembe entered at 67 minutes aged 42, ranking him as the second oldest participant in AFCON history behind Egypt's 44-year-old keeper Essam El Hadary.
Diallo broke through the determined and structured Mozambican defence midway through the second half, slotting the ball beyond Siluane from within the area after a headed pass reached him.
Cameroon struck in just the sixth minute during a heated clash with Gabon, as Etta Eyong powered the ball through the legs of keeper Loyce Mbaba for the only goal.
Skipper Mahrez found the net in both halves to help the 2019 title winners Algeria claim a comfortable 3-0 success against ten-man Sudan.
Mahrez opened the scoring after only 82 seconds, thrilling the Algerian supporters who formed most of the 16,115 attendees at Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
Currently with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, Mahrez added his second shortly past the hour, and Ibrahim Maza sealed the result late, giving Algeria an ideal start.
Zidane views his son in action
France icon Zinedine Zidane, whose family roots trace to Algeria, watched from the stands in the Moroccan capital where his son Luca started as goalkeeper for the Desert Foxes.
Zidane's image on the stadium screens sparked massive cheers from Algerian fans, who enjoyed their side's strong showing.
Algeria, knocked out early without a victory in the previous two AFCON editions, quickly asserted control against the group underdogs.
Barely a minute in, Mohamed Amoura's cross into the box led to Hicham Boudaoui's back-heel setup for Mahrez, who controlled and struck home.
Zidane made a fine stop at Sudan's Yaser Awad Boshara's feet, but Algeria clearly held the upper hand.
Sudan's hopes faded when Salaheldin Adil received a second yellow for fouling Rayan Ait-Nouri six minutes shy of halftime.
Ramy Bensebaini saw a goal ruled out for offside soon after, yet Mahrez extended the lead to 2-0 on 61 minutes via a clever outside-of-the-boot pass from Amoura.
At his sixth AFCON, Mahrez now boasts eight tournament goals and left the pitch to warm applause from Algerian supporters late in the game.
Bayer Leverkusen's substitute Maza converted Baghdad Bounedjah's header with five minutes remaining, notching Algeria's 100th AFCON goal for a 3-0 final score.
Sudan has managed only one win in 17 Cup of Nations outings since their 1970 triumph.
In the group's earlier match, Burkina Faso rallied from a deficit to edge ten-man Equatorial Guinea 2-1 with strikes in stoppage time.
Equatorial Guinea's Basilio Ndong was dismissed shortly after the interval, but Marvin Anieboh's header on 85 minutes suggested a victory until Georgi Minoungou levelled in the fifth minute of added time, followed by Edmond Tapsoba's Leverkusen defender's winner in the 98th.