Mahrez still the magic man as Algeria eye AFCON crown

Riyad Mahrez will be hoping to inspire Algeria to glory during the next month, but before they even dream of lifting the silverware they must break a remarkable six-year winless streak at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Desert Warriors were crowned kings of the continent in 2019, with Mahrez playing a starring role for Djamel Belmadi’s side. Then plying his club trade at Manchester City, the winger scored three goals, including a 95th-minute winner in the semi-final against Nigeria.

But since that joyous night in Cairo, when they defeated Sadio Mane’s Senegal 1-0 in the final, Algeria have failed to register a single win in six matches across both the 2021 and 2023 editions. Certainly, twin group-stage exits fell well short of expectation.

All eyes, then, will be on Algeria’s opening fixture of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco on Wednesday, when they face Group E rivals Sudan in Rabat. Can they halt their drought and use that as a springboard for success in this campaign?

While much remains up in the air when it comes to their fortunes, what is not in doubt is the continued importance of Mahrez to the national team.

Despite approaching his 35th birthday, which he will celebrate in February, the Al Ahli star hasn’t lost any of the touch or skill that saw him dominate in the English Premier League for both Leicester City and Manchester City.

Changing both hues of blue for white and green, Mahrez has been instrumental for Al Ahli since landing in Jeddah in the summer of 2023.

While his reserved personality perhaps doesn’t command attention as much as some of the other headline names to arrive in the Kingdom, few have been as influential for their sides as Mahrez has been for his.

There are any number of statistics you can rattle off to back that up; be it the 45 goal contributions across two-and-a-bit seasons in the Roshn Saudi League, or the fact that no one in the league comes near him for chances created across the same period.

That also translates into providing the most assists in the league, with 25.

There’s also, in simple terms, the eye test. Just watch an Al Ahli game and it is evident how important Mahrez is to their system and structure.

While Al Ahli haven’t been able to turn that into top-flight silverware, they were able to convert on the continent when, in May, they were crowned champions of the AFC Champions League Elite. Again, Mahrez was central to their success.

His unrivalled 17 goal contributions (nine goals and eight assists) might not have been enough to be crowned the tournament’s MVP - that went to teammate Roberto Firmino - but the lack of that individual accolade doesn’t diminish his impact.

Mahrez was, at times, unplayable as Matthias Jaissle, after the introduction of Galeno mid-season, found the winning formula in their own backyard as Al Ahli stormed to the trophy in Jeddah in emphatic fashion.

"There was the title with Leicester, [the 2019 African Cup of Nations] with Algeria, with City,” Mahrez said after the game. “All have a different taste, a different emotion. I cannot say I prefer one or the other. This is as good as all the titles I have. It's a different competition, a different continent; this is new.

"Last year, when I came here and we didn't win anything I was really upset, and this year I really wanted to make a stand and win something with this club, these players, the board, the manager and the people behind him.

"We're so happy and we have to enjoy it now."

Enjoy it they did, and after he later promised to deliver the RSL crown this season, Mahrez and Al Ahli have some work to do. Still, sitting fourth in the table after nine rounds and eight points off the summit, they are within touching distance should frontrunners Al Nassr falter ahead of them.

For the next few weeks, however, as the league resumes after the break for the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, they’ll have to make do without Mahrez as he leads his nation into battle at the AFCON.

Al Ahli’s loss is clearly Algeria’s gain. And despite his aging body, Mahrez’s output in the RSL and Asia across the past few years highlights just how huge an advantage that actually is.