…Mahrez certain Algeria will bounce back in future
Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has admitted that Nigeria were the better side and fully deserved their place in the semi-finals of the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following the Super Eagles’ convincing 2–0 quarter-final victory at the Stade de Marrakech on Saturday.
The Super Eagles dominated proceedings from the opening whistle to the final whistle. Victor Osimhen delivered a Man of the Match performance, opening the scoring before providing a perfectly weighted assist for Akor Adams to seal a comfortable win for the West African giants.
Algeria, by contrast, struggled to gain any foothold in the contest. The Desert Warriors failed to register a single shot on target, managed only three off-target efforts, and were unable to create any clear-cut chances. They recorded just 10 touches inside Nigeria’s penalty area, compared to an emphatic 41 by the Super Eagles.
Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the match, the former Manchester City forward conceded that Nigeria were superior in every aspect of the game.
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“It is football, and we played a great team,” the 34-year-old said. “You could see it clearly – they were better than us. Even though some players were missing, in hindsight, maybe things could have been different if we had played with an extra defender.”
Reflecting further, Mahrez suggested that Nigeria’s attacking firepower – having scored 12 goals in their four matches before the quarter-final – may have required a more cautious tactical approach.
“You always talk about changes after games,” he added. “But the players gave everything from the start of the tournament, both young and old. That’s football.”
Despite the disappointment, Mahrez expressed optimism about Algeria’s future and remains confident the team can reclaim the AFCON title.
“This generation still has time. There will be more AFCONs,” he said. “We will try to bring another AFCON trophy back to Algeria.”
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