Preview: Algeria vs. Sudan - prediction, team news, lineups

Two former Africa Cup of Nations champions, Algeria and Sudan, face off in Rabat on Wednesday, a crucial match that could shape their chances of advancing from Group E.

Having exited at the group stage at AFCON 2021 and 2023, the Fennecs need a positive start in Morocco against an opponent without a win in this competition since 2012.

Match preview

When Algeria ended a 29-year wait for Cup of Nations success in 2019, little did the Desert Warriors know that beating Senegal would be their last victory at the tournament.

Baghdad Bounedjah’s fortuitous strike sealed the win in Cairo six years ago, and the two-time African champions have been winless against Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast in the 2021 edition and Algeria, Burkina Faso and Mauritania at the previous finals, accumulating three points from a possible 18.

Having created unwanted history by exiting in consecutive group stages at the continental showpiece for the first time, Algeria bid to avoid extending their spell outside the competition’s knockouts, starting with Wednesday’s encounter with Sudan.

The Fennecs enter their 21st AFCON fresh off going unbeaten in qualifying, winning five and drawing one and outscoring all but Morocco (26) with their 16 goals, level with South Africa.

Their goal return was no fluke as they netted 24 in World Cup qualifying, only behind Ivory Coast’s 25, with Mohamed El Amine Amoura outscoring the rest of Africa during that time.

Considering the Fennecs’ form across the qualifying series for the continental showpiece and World Cup, another early exit for Vladimir Petkovic’s team would be incredibly disappointing.

Aiming to avoid coming unstuck early doors, Algeria take on the motivated 1970 champions whose return to the competition comes on the backdrop of war back home.

The war-torn country’s national team were forced to play their home fixtures in qualifying outside Sudan, doubly underlining the hurdles they needed to surmount to be involved in Morocco.

Managed by Ghanaian James Kwesi Appiah, the Falcons of Jediane twice avoided losing against the Black Stars, playing out a goalless encounter in Accra before defeating the four-time African champions 2-0 in the reverse fixture in Libya.

With two wins, two draws and two defeats, Sudan pipped Niger to qualification by one point, with Ghana going winless with three draws and three losses.

Back at the Cup of Nations after missing out in Ivory Coast, Appiah’s men bid to avoid the same fate as AFCON 2021 when they went winless from three games, losing to Nigeria and Egypt in a difficult group comprising teams with 10 titles among them.

Without a win since stunning Burkina Faso 2-1 at AFCON 2012, Sudan head into Wednesday aware of their four-match winless run in this competition as they look to shock and awe their opponents.

Algeria form (all competitions):

Sudan form (all competitions):

Team News

Riyad Mahrez, now 34, leads Algeria alongside fellow veteran and 2019 match-winner Bounedjah, also 34, as the Fennecs aim to end their six-match winless AFCON run.

While Mahrez and Bounedjah have 33 and 35 goals for the national team, respectively, Amoura’s ascent means both men do not have to carry the goalscoring burden for the two-time African champions.

Amoura netted 10 goals in World Cup qualifying, outscoring Egypt’s legendary forward Mohamed Salah (nine) and accounting for 41.7% of the team’s goals.

Also part of the group are Borussia Dortmund wide defender Ramy Bensebaini, ex-AC Milan midfield star Ismael Bennacer, now at Dinamo Zagreb, and ex-Nice full-back Youcef Atal, who have a combined 186 international appearances, though Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri might start over Bensebaini at left-back.

Enzo Zidane, son of the legendary Zinedine Zidane, should start between the sticks ahead of 20-time capped Caen goalkeeper Anthony Mandrea.

Sudan’s squad comprises primarily home-based players, although captain Bakhit Khamis, Munjed Alnil, Muhamed Kesra, Sheddy Barglan, Abuaagla Abdalla, Ammar Taifour, Mohamed Eisa, Abo Eisa, Al-Jezoli, John Mano and Aamir Abdallah represent clubs outside Sudan.

Of the aforementioned, Barglan, the Eisa brothers and Abdallah play outside Africa, plying their trade in the Netherlands, Thailand and Australia, respectively.

Sudan had four different scorers in qualifying — Mohamed Abdelrahman, Ahmed Al-Tash, Eisa and Mustafa Karshoum — underlining that this team do not rely on one player for goals.

Nonetheless, Abdelrahman is the leading international scorer in the 28-player group, with his 23 goals significantly more than Yaser Muzmel’s eight.

Algeria possible starting lineup:

Zidane; Belghali, Mandi, Belaid, Ait-Nouri; Bennacer, Zerrouki; Mahrez, Moussa, Aouar; Bounedjah

Sudan possible starting lineup:

Abooja; Awad, Ering, Karshoum, Tabanja; Mozamil, Taifour, Khdir, Raouf; Mano, Abdelrahman

We say: Algeria 3-0 Sudan

While Abdelrahman’s previous exploits on the international stage make him the standout star, the team’s broader lack of consistent goalscorers could mar their prospects on Wednesday.

Therefore, Algeria should seal a routine triumph, ending their six-match run without success since lifting the title in 2019.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.