Algeria's Hillal Soudani celebrates scoring their fourth goal REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
Baghdad Bounedjah bagged a brace as Algeria thumped Sudan 4-0 to start their FIFA Arab Cup campaign on a positive note at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Djamel Belrami and El Arabi Soudani completed the rout as Sudan’s Mohammed Abdel missed a penalty.
The Desert Foxes showed their class from kickoff as Sudan struggled all game to test goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi.
The onslaught began immediately after the whistle as Al Sadd star Bounedjah hit the post from an acrobatic strike. Bounedjah would not be denied as he opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
Soudani’s through ball carved open the Sudanese defence, and Bounedjah beat the offside trap, rounded the onrushing goalkeeper Ali Achrine and slotted into an empty goal.
Soudani could have got himself on the scoresheet just minutes later, but the defence did just enough to clear the danger.
Yacine Brahimi, after beating his markers could only toe-pock his shot way wide off the mark.
Bounedjah made it two in the 37th by Achrine. Sudan failed to clear a corner, and the ball fell kindly for Brahimi, who set up Bounedjah. The striker’s first-time effort was spilled into the net for what should have been a simple save.
Sudan hardly with any sniff of the ball could have gone three down almost immediately, but Brahimi dragged his effort from just inside the box narrowly wide after good work from Amir Sayoud.
The Foxes were not to be denied as defensive stalwart Djamel Benlamri headed home for his first international goal just before halftime.
In the second half, Algeria continued on the front foot and soon made it four thanks to some defensive blunder by Mohamed Saeed Ahmed.
Sudan tried to play out the back, and Soudani nicked the ball off the unsuspecting Ahmed before curling home into the bottom corner.
Bounedjah thought he had bagged his hattrick with a lovely chip over Achrine, but VAR ruled it out for offside.
Sudan got the chance to pull one back when VAR adjudged Benlamri to have fouled Sudan’s captain Nasreldin El Shigail. However, Rais ensured a clean sheet for the Foxes as he parried Mohammed’s tame effort from the spot out to safety.
“I am happy with the players’ attitude, but we could have shown a little more control in the second half. We are not getting excited for the moment, but we are sticking to the positive aspects,” Foxes coach Madjid Bougherra said after the match.
Meanwhile, Sudan coach Hubert Velud lamented his side’s poor preparations before the tournament.
“The country’s political issues disrupted our preparation, and then physically, we weren’t there today. We are struggling against very good teams like Algeria,” the French tactician said. “The Algerian team has mastered its style of play, and the players on the sides hurt us a lot.”
Both teams are back in action on Saturday as Algeria take on Lebanon at the Al Janoub Stadium while Sudan face heavyweights Egypt at Stadium 974.
