Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has tipped Nigeria’s Super Eagles to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), according to Soccernet.ng.
Mahrez featured for 60 minutes in Algerian colors when they locked horns with Nigeria in the tournament’s quarterfinals at Stade Marrakech on Saturday.
Heading into the match, the former Manchester City star had already registered three goals and was a top contender for the Golden Boot. In fact, he was expected to be a handful for the Super Eagles backline.
However, Mahrez struggled throughout the encounter. He and his teammates were heavily marked by the Nigerian players.
In fact, he was pocketed and afforded little space to exploit. Even after he was taken off, his replacement, Anis Hadj Moussa, fared no better as the Algerian midfield and attack was stifled.
It was a dominant performance from Eric Chelle’s side, who effectively outplayed the Fennec Foxes. The match ended 2-0 in favor of the Super Eagles, but the result could easily have been worse.
Riyad Mahrez Tips Super Eagles To Lift AFCON 2025 Trophy
After the final whistle, Algeria Captain Riyad Mahrez was visibly disappointed. Having previously announced at ther pre-match press conference for the game against Nigeria that the 2025 AFCON would be his final international tournament, exiting after such a lackluster performance clearly left a bitter taste.
Despite the loss, Mahrez offered a surprising endorsement, backing the Super Eagles to lift the trophy in Morocco. The Al-Ahli playmaker cited Nigeria’s highly talented squad as the main reason for his prediction.
“I’m happy I was able to win one AFCON trophy for my country. It’s football, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” Mahrez told Naija Sports.
“Maybe it will be the time for Nigeria to win. They have a good generation. But sometimes, you can have a good generation, but you don’t win. It’s really difficult to win, but I think they have a good chance.”
Winning the 2025 AFCON will not be easy task, even though the Super Eagles just need to win two matches to achieve it.
Their next game is against hosts Morocco on Wednesday. Yet again, that is primed to be a big test. The Atlas Lions came into the tournament as favourites, and they have played well in most of their games so far.
The Super Eagles won’t only be contending against the 11 players on the pitch. They would also have to cope the intimidation from the home fans who will be out for blood.
If Chelle and his lads manage to survive Morocco, they will then play the winner of the other semifinal between Senegal and Egypt.