Mahrez is back in headlines as Africa Cup details shuffle, Morocco’s star winger and Algeria captain since 2014. Born 1991, Leicester champ.
Algeria arrives at the World Cup as an unproven commodity after an Africa Cup of Nations exit and a shaky qualifying build. Petkovic leans on technical quality, but gaps in defense persist. Riyad Mahrez remains the talisman, while uncertainty over selection and form clouds the squad’s prospects.
Algeria has defeated Jordan 2-1 to revive their World Cup campaign. Nadhir Benbouali equalised from a Mahrez corner, and Amine Gouiri scored the winner in stoppage time. Argentina leads Group J after a 2-0 win, with Algeria level on points with Austria. The result fuels a historic rematch with Austria and stirs memories of the 1982 Disgrace of Gijon.