Algerian Star Mahrez Faces Backlash for Morocco Vacation Amid National Team Absence

The captain of the Algerian team is currently on vacation with his family in Marrakech. He joined the ochre city after his club won the Premier League title for the eighth time in its history. Riyad Mahrez needs to rest. But these vacations are not to the liking of the supporters of the Algerian national team because he will be absent from the next matches of the Fennecs against Uganda and Tanzania scheduled for June 4 and 8 respectively in Algiers and Dar Es Salaam. These matches are part of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN).

This absence is justified for health reasons. "The Algerian Football Federation received on Thursday, May 26, 2022 a medical report from the English club Manchester City indicating that Mahrez is not able to participate in the next training camp and the next two matches of the national team," the Algerian Football Federation said in a statement.

Algerian supporters do not digest this "forfeit". Criticism is raining down on social media. Until now, they have not forgotten the poor performances of the Algerian team: failure at the 2021 CAN and elimination in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.