Riyad Mahrez called on Algeria to rise to the challenge in Cameroon as they prepare to start their defence of the Africa Cup of Nations title. “This will be even harder than the last AFCON. The level will be a step up and the other teams are better, but we come here with the ambition and determination to try to replicate what we did in 2019 and achieve great things again,” Mahrez said in Douala, where the holders play their opening game against outsiders Sierra Leone today.
The 30-year-old Manchester City winger skippered his country to victory against Senegal in the 2019 final in Egypt, and Djamel Belmadi’s team are unbeaten in competitive action since then. They have not lost in 34 competitive outings, a run that does not include the recent FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar, in which Mahrez and other senior players did not participate.
Mahrez is one of the biggest stars at the Cup of Nations, which is going ahead despite some pressure from leading European clubs to postpone the tournament again, such was their reluctance to release leading players mid-season amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
However Mahrez said he had no problem with City, the runaway English Premier League leaders. “Everything was fine with City. It’s not up to the clubs because we are playing for our country and it is a big tournament like the Euro or Copa America,” he said.
Mahrez stayed with Pep Guardiola’s squad during the busy Christmas and New Year period in England, notably playing 90 minutes in wins against Leicester City and Arsenal. That was why Belmadi opted to leave him out of a training camp in Qatar last week. “He played a lot of games over that period, more than usual, so we decided to leave him to recuperate a bit. There was no point in him being exhausted coming into the tournament,” said Belmadi yesterday.
Algeria, who also play Equatorial Guinea and the Ivory Coast in Group E, may be among the favourites but Belmadi believes his team can thrive under pressure. “We just have to get on with the pressure,” said the 45-year-old.
“There is a difference between the situation in 2019 and now as we come into the tournament as the holders. But it’s fine. We are ambitious and will do everything to fulfil our objective,” he said.
Meanwhile Sierra Leone coach John Keister yesterday said his team could not have asked for a tougher start to their first Africa Cup of Nations in quarter of a century than a match against holders Algeria today, but added that simply being in Cameroon is a step on the way to making the country competitive again.
“It is very important for the people of Sierra Leone that we come here and represent the country,” Keister said in Douala on as the west African nation appear at the continental tournament for the first time since 1996. “As a nation, if we want to be coming to this competition every two years we have to come here and play against the better teams in Africa. It helps our development but we are looking forward to it and we are going to be competitive, that’s for sure.”
Ranked 108th in the world, Sierra Leone twice held Nigeria in qualifying, including coming from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 away, and pipped Benin to secure a berth at the finals. They will also play the Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea in Cameroon and the format is such that one win might be enough to reach the last 16.
“Where we end doesn’t really matter. For us it is about growth. We want to be back with the big boys,” added Keister, who was born in England but was capped by Sierra Leone as a player. “We don’t want to put pressure on ourselves and raise hopes about where we will finish.”
They will face the reigning champions at the Japoma Stadium in Douala today in the heat and humidity of an afternoon kick-off. “We know they are one of the better sides in Africa but football is about who wants it more on the day and we are prepared for that. Records are there to be broken,” said Keister.
There are few household names in their squad but Sierra Leone can call on Steven Caulker, the 30-year-old London-born centre-back with Turkish club Gaziantep. Caulker was capped once by England in 2012 when on the books at Tottenham Hotspur but qualified for Sierra Leone through his grandfather and changed international allegiance when the opportunity arose to play at the Cup of Nations.
Mahrez
