Zinedine Zidane's Son Luca Praised After Clean-Sheet AFCON Debut for Algeria

Algeria's head coach, Vladimir Petkovic, singled out goalkeeper Luca Zidane for his performance following a clean sheet on his Africa Cup of Nations debut.

The Desert Foxes secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sudan in their group stage opener on Wednesday, with a double from captain Riyad Mahrez sealing the win.

Riyad Mahrez scored in the second and 61st minutes before substitute Ibrahim Maza sealed the win in the 85th minute.

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Despite the Granada goalkeeper having only one previous cap for Algeria, Vladimir Petkovic chose to start him for the crucial first match of the tournament.

"I think Zidane gave the team security; he played well with his feet, and it’s one of his first matches for the national team," Petkovic stated after the game, according to Foot Africa.

Luca Zidane made his debut for the Algerian national team on October 14, 2025, in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Uganda.

The 27-year-old officially switched his sporting nationality from France to Algeria in September 2025. Following his October debut, the coach trusted him to make a high-profile appearance at the 2025 AFCON.

The coach also highlighted the contributions of other players, noting, "What matters is to have players like Belghali… he showed his worth. Bennacer faced some difficulties… now he’s much more stable… and it’s clear how important he is to our team."

However, Vladimir Petkovic expressed that there was still room for improvement despite the convincing scoreline.

"The first match is always hard to predict. We played well, but then we made things complicated for ourselves by giving Sudan some chances," he explained. "The second match will be different. Of course, we’ll need to improve certain things, but we still won 3-0."

Algeria will play their second Group E match against Burkina Faso on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

Having secured the continental crown in both 1990 and 2019, Algeria have entered the 2025 tournament with a prestigious history as two-time champions.

Following a dominant opening win against Sudan, they are now focused on reclaiming their title and adding a third star to their jersey after disappointing exits in the previous two editions.