Algeria has just wrapped up its June gathering in impressive fashion as the Greens secured a 2-1 victory against Uganda on Monday, in the 4th round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
This valuable win follows their defeat by the same score against Guinea last Thursday. However, this gathering hasn’t been without its controversies due to the absence of Riyad Mahrez. An important announcement has just been made regarding this matter.
Absent in March by his own request – following numerous criticisms he faced after the missed AFCON – Riyad Mahrez was also not included in Vladimir Petkovic’s second list. The Fennec, who disclosed skipping the last two league matches with Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia) to preserve himself for these international fixtures, wasn’t called up by Petkovic, who was waiting for… a call from him! In short, there was a misunderstanding between the two, inevitably sparking rumors of Mahrez’s international retirement (at 33 years old).
Back as soon as September?
Addressing this issue outside the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, the president of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), Walid Sadi, made a significant clarification in this matter. “There’s no issue with Riyad Mahrez; the situation has simply been blown out of proportion.
I’ve spoken with the coach (Petkovic) since our arrival in Uganda, and he assured me that he would meet with Mahrez in the coming days to clarify this matter. It’s even possible that Mahrez will make his return to the national team during the next camp in September,” the executive clarified. So, it remains to be seen if the meeting between the two will be fruitful and if the former Citizen will make his comeback during the next international window in September.
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