Algerian star Riyad Mahrez, who plays for Saudi club Al-Ahli, made a spectacular start to his national team's campaign in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, cementing his status as one of the greatest African footballers of all time. The tournament, hosted by Morocco from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, saw the Desert Foxes' captain shine in their opening match.
A strong start and top spot in the group
Riyad Mahrez led Algeria to a resounding 3-0 victory over Sudan in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday evening. The "Magician of the Arabs" scored a brilliant brace, putting Algeria at the top of their group, which also includes Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea. His performance sent a strong message to their rivals that Algeria are serious contenders for the continental title.
Record-breaking numbers and a golden career
With this brace, Riyad Mahrez reached a new and remarkable milestone in his international career, bringing his total goal contributions for the national team to 80. The 34-year-old star, who has 108 international caps across all competitions, has scored 36 goals and provided 44 assists for his teammates, achieving an impressive balance between scoring and creating goals. It's worth noting that Mahrez's international career began in May 2014 at the age of 23, and he has since become an indispensable pillar of the Algerian national team for over a decade.
Historical context and importance of the event
Mahrez's brilliance in this edition takes on special significance as the Algerian national team seeks to erase the memory of their disappointing performance in the previous edition (2021) and their failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. All eyes are on Mahrez, the captain and inspiration who previously led Algeria to their historic victory in Egypt in 2019, to repeat the feat and claim their third star. Mahrez's accumulated experience in European leagues with Leicester City and Manchester City, and currently in the Saudi League, gives him the ability to control the tempo of big matches and guide his young teammates on the pitch.
Analysis of technical performance and the leader's statements
Mahrez's role against Sudan wasn't limited to scoring; his influence was evident in linking the lines and creating space, giving Algeria a technical advantage throughout both halves of the match. In his post-match comments, Mahrez was realistic, saying, "The most important thing for us was to start the tournament well." He added, emphasizing the need to focus on the upcoming match against Burkina Faso, admitting that the performance in the first half wasn't ideal despite the early goal, but the team recovered in the second half and secured the victory.
Riyad Mahrez's international statistics
- Number of matches: 108 matches
- Goals scored: 36 goals
- Assists: 44
- Playing time: 7998 minutes
- Cards: 4 yellow (0 red)
