Algeria captain, Riyad Mahrez, has said he and his teammates have a clear understanding of Nigeria’s Super Eagles ahead of their AFCON quarter-final clash in Morocco.
The two African powerhouses will face off after impressive performances in the round of 16. While Nigeria routed Mozambique 4-0, Algeria scraped past DR Congo 1-0 in extra time.
Both nations are the only teams in this year’s tournament to have won all their matches so far.
The last AFCON meeting between the sides came in the 2019 semi-finals, when Mahrez struck a stoppage-time free kick to secure a 2-1 victory for Algeria.
“Nigeria? We know them well, the match won’t be easy,” Mahrez told Elbotola following Algeria’s win over DR Congo. On the prospect of another last-minute free kick, he added: “Another last-minute free kick? We’ll see, anything is possible.”
Reflecting on Algeria’s narrow victory, the former Manchester City star emphasized his side’s deserved progression.
“I think that overall, if the balance had to tip one way or the other, it would have been ours. We faced a good Congolese team, who played with cohesion and left few spaces, but we were solid.
“We didn’t concede many chances, and we always know that we have players capable of making the difference.”
