Riyad Mahrez, the captain of the Algerian national team, addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding officiating following the Desert Warriors’ 2-0 defeat against Nigeria in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco 2025) on Saturday.
Speaking calmly and thoughtfully after the match, Mahrez dismissed the idea of blaming the referee for the elimination of the “Greens,” acknowledging Nigeria’s superiority in the game.
The star player of Al-Ahli Saudi FC remarked, “We faced a strong team, and we could have certainly performed better. We can always discuss strategies and replay the match in our minds, but in the end, they played better than us, and that is football.”
Regarding the officiating, he stated, “The referee was not perfect, but that is not the reason for our loss. In football, there is always talk about referees, but the outcome is decided on the pitch.”
It is noteworthy that Mahrez, a former Manchester City star, played a pivotal role in Algeria’s triumph in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, where they secured victory against Senegal in the final held in Cairo with a score of 1-0.
