Riyad Mahrez and Algeria, the flame rekindled | OneFootball

Riyad Mahrez struck twice in the 3-0 defeat of Sudan and will be under the spotlight again against Burkina Faso this Sunday, 18:30. At 34, the right winger is throwing himself into what appear to be the final months of his international career.

Inside two minutes he set Algeria on their way to a first AFCON win since the 1-0 final against Senegal in July 2019, two years after a grim Ivorian edition that ended on the bench. L'Équipe notes that, after criticism and the faltering end to Djamel Belmadi's reign, he asked to skip March 2024, then Vladimir Petkovic left him out in June.

Algeria lost 1-2 at home to Guinea in June 2024. In August Petkovic flew to Jeddah to talk with him, and a spark likely followed in March 2025 with a 5-1 win over Mozambique, the captain guiding a young group, notably Mohamed Amoura. Last summer he said he still felt he could give.

Those latest goals lift him to Algeria's top AFCON scorer with eight, second overall behind Islam Slimani, and on 36 goals and 44 assists in 109 caps. He wants to restore Algeria's standing and, next June across the Atlantic, finish in style in the manner of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Luka Modric.

Before facing Sudan he gathered team-mates, urging them to leave everything on the pitch, take the match and the three points, then return to the hotel. The words mattered less than the reception, team-mates are listening again and he still has a side to lift. After the final whistle at Moulay-Hassan he spent time with Ibrahim Maza and Anis Hadj Moussa.

Source: L'Équipe