1998 Fifa World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane was the star attraction at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat as Algeria defeated Sudan 3-0 in Group E.
The ex-Real Madrid, Juventus and France star was in the stands as his son Luca Zidane made history featuring for Algeria in Afcon, and he kept a clean sheet on his debut.
Zidane, born to Algerian parents, represented France, but his son opted to play for his original home despite playing for the French in the under-age competitions.
“With Algeria, I immediately think of my grandfather,” Luca Zidane told BeIN Sports. “There has always been Algerian culture in my family. I spoke with him before joining the national team, and he was very emotional.”
His coach, Vladimir Petkovic, heaped praise on Luca Zidane’s strong performance in the win over Sudan.
“I believe Zidane provided the Algerian players with a sense of security, and played well with the ball, despite this being one of his first matches with the national team,” Petkovic told the post-match news conference.
Algeria will face Burkina Faso in their next game on Sunday, aiming to seal Round of 16 qualification.