It sure has been a ‘mixed’ week for Riyad Mahrez, even assuming he is not the sentimental type.Last Wednesday, the Algerian football star would certainly have been shaken, if not stirred by the news of his former club Leicester City FC – with whom he spent four-and-half years, scored 48 goals and won the Premier League in 2016 – being relegated to the third division. Saturday would have provided some solace for the Al Ahli winger as his Saudi Arabian side successfully defended the AFC Champions League Elite crown.Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.
The latest achievement is even more remarkable for the fact that Al Ahli beat Machida Zelvia of Japan 1-0 while playing with 10 men for almost an hour."It's amazing," said Mahrez, who won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester City in 2023. "It was difficult for us again. We like to make it difficult for ourselves.
Ten against 11 is nearly impossible, I don't know how we found the strength and the energy. ... After the red card we stuck together, we fought more, we ran more until we scored."What Ronaldo and Al Nassr did for AFCON champion Sadio Mane showed true respect In a league on which the imposing shadow of Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo looms large, the Al Ahli winger has made quite a name for himself, helping the Saudi side win the Saudi Super Cup last year alongside the AFC Champions League Elite crown, scoring 37 goals so far in the process.Besides his former club Leicester City’s relegation to English football’s third tier, this week also saw another of his former clubs, Manchester City, throwing the Premier League race wide open after beating Arsenal in a top-of-the-table clash.
During his stint in City from 2018-23, Mahrez scored 78 goals, earning immense praise from manager Pep Guardiola. The Algerian was part of a side that won four league crowns, three English League Cups, two FA Cups and the Cityzens’ first-ever UEFA Champions League title, in addition to clinching what is now known as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in 2023.“He’s an exceptional player on the big stage, with the mentality to score a goal. I am so satisfied with Riyad because he loves to play football.
He has given many things in these years and will give more in the future,” Guardiola had said of the Algerian.Al Ahli sporting director: “If we are all here in Saudi Arabia, credit goes to Ronaldo" Besides club football success, the 35-year-old has also led the Algerian national side to qualification for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. He will be seeking to steer Vladimir Petkovic’s men out of Group J, where they will square off against Argentina, Austria and Jordan.Zinedine Zidane, the legendary French footballer of Algerian descent, had once said of Mahrez: “He’s a talented player who offers something different.
He’s technically strong, very direct and always a threat going forward. He’s also very quick with the ball.”With such high praise coming from his idol, Mahrez will be hoping to make his sophomore showing at this World Cup a campaign to remember.