The national team captain, Riyad Mahrez, confronted the criticisms directed at him and the team’s performance during the tournament.
The Fennecs, led by coach Djamel Belmadi, faced a surprising defeat against Mauritania, resulting in their premature exit from AFCON.
The disappointing outcome prompted Belmadi to announce his departure, leaving the Algerian Football Federation in search of a new leader for the squad.
Mahrez, a key figure in Algerian football, returned to his homeland in the early hours of the morning after the defeat.
In an interview with La Gazette du Fennec, he acknowledged the team’s collective responsibility for the recent failures and expressed his deep disappointment for the Algerian supporters and their families.
“We are the ones responsible, me first, and I blame everyone. We have not been up to par over the last 2-3 years, and we are paying for it.
We are disappointed and very sad for the Algerian supporters and our families because it is for the people that we play,” Mahrez stated.
Addressing the criticism directed at him personally, Mahrez remained reflective, stating, “I don’t know what my goal will be, my head is upside down.
It’s not easy to come out of such a failure.” The 32-year-old player, who has made 94 appearances for Algeria and scored 31 goals, did not make any definitive statements regarding his international future.
Commenting on the team’s overall performance, Mahrez admitted, “We were not good, we were not up to the task.
We won so much for a long time, but in football, you win and you lose, but you lose more than you win.” He expressed uncertainty about the reasons behind the team’s decline, despite having good players and a great coach.
In addressing the media, Mahrez, like coach Djamel Belmadi, criticized the Algerian press, suggesting that negative pressure from some journalists contributed to the team’s challenges.
However, he acknowledged that media pressure is not an excuse for the team’s subpar performance.
While the future of Algerian football remains uncertain with the departure of Belmadi and potential changes to the squad, Mahrez’s statements reflect a mix of accountability, disappointment, and a call for introspection within the Algerian football community.
