Retired Algerian captain Riyad Mahrez, speaking after his latest match-winning performance for Al Sailiya, offered his perspective on the national team’s upcoming qualifiers and praised young talent Ibrahim Maza, La Gazette du Fennec reported. Mahrez, who retired from international football following Algeria’s campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, emphasized the need for the current squad to fully exploit its quality as it prepares for a crucial double-header against Togo.
Message to the Current Generation
Having amassed over 100 caps for Algeria across a 12-year international career, Mahrez retains a strong connection to the national team. Reflecting on the upcoming matches against Togo, scheduled for the third and fourth matchdays of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the 2022 African Footballer of the Year expressed his hopes from afar. “I wish them the best,” Mahrez stated. “Of course, I am watching from a distance. I hope, inshallah, they will have two good matches.”
When asked if he misses playing for his country, Mahrez confirmed the sentiment remains strong. “Of course, when you have spent 12 years and played more than 100 matches with the national team, it still misses me,” he said. His message to the current players was clear: the team has the talent, but it must be guided effectively. “Now, there is a good team, there are good young players,” Mahrez continued. “Inshallah, let them play them as best they can and exploit their quality to the maximum. Because us Algerians, we have good qualities and we need people around us who exploit them to the maximum. I wish them the best and inshallah they qualify and they win.”
Praise for Ibrahim Maza
A significant portion of Mahrez’s comments focused on the emergence of young players, particularly 19-year-old forward Ibrahim Maza. Maza, who plays for Almería in Spain, recently finished ninth in the voting for the 2026 Kopa Trophy, an award presented by France Football to the world’s best young player. Mahrez was effusive in his praise for the youngster.
“Machallah, I was super happy for him,” Mahrez said of Maza’s Kopa nomination. “He deserves it, it’s just the beginning for him. He’s a great guy, he has a very good mentality, he is still very young. What I like about him is that he works a lot despite his young age, with a lot of humility. That’s the only way he will reach the top. I hope he has a great career. He still has time, but what he is already showing at his age is very promising.”
Pressed on whether Maza’s trajectory reminded him of his own early days, Mahrez steered the conversation to the broader young contingent in the Algerian squad. “Does it remind you of your beginnings? Everyone has their own path, but what he is doing is magnificent,” Mahrez replied. “It’s not just him, of course. Him, because he is very young, already shows great maturity. But there are many others too, and I wish them the best. I hope they continue to progress in their clubs, do good things with their clubs and, of course, with Algeria.”
Algeria’s Upcoming Qualifiers
Algeria’s focus now turns to back-to-back matches against Togo in the qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
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