Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has admitted that the Desert Foxes are well aware of the quality and threat posed by Nigeria’s Super Eagles ahead of their AFCON quarter-final showdown in Morocco.
The clash will pit two African heavyweights against each other, with Nigeria and Algeria emerging as the only sides to have won all their matches so far at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria stormed into the last eight with a commanding 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16, while Algeria secured their place after edging past DR Congo 1–0 after extra time.
Speaking after the tense win against DR Congo, Mahrez acknowledged the size of the challenge that awaits his side.
“Nigeria? We know them well. The match won’t be easy,” the former Manchester City star was quoted as saying by Elbotola.
The last time both nations met at the AFCON was in the semi-finals of the 2019 edition, where Mahrez famously struck a dramatic stoppage-time free kick to secure a 2–1 victory for Algeria.
Asked if he could deliver another late moment of magic, the winger replied: “Another last-minute free kick? We’ll see. Anything is possible.”
Reflecting on Algeria’s hard-earned victory over DR Congo, Mahrez insisted the Desert Foxes deserved to progress.
“I think that overall, if the balance had to tip one way or the other, it would have been ours. We faced a good Congolese team who played with cohesion and left few spaces, but we were solid,” he said.
“We didn’t concede many chances, and we always know that we have players capable of making the difference.”
Saturday’s quarter-final promises to be a high-stakes encounter as two former AFCON champions battle for a place in the semi-finals.