Tag: Riyad Mahrez

  • Huth’s own goal gives Arsenal win over Leicester

    Huth’s own goal gives Arsenal win over Leicester

    Arsenal kept up their top-four chase as a late Robert Huth own-goal gave them a lone goal victory over defending champions, Leicester City.

    The home supporters at Emirates Stadium seemed set for a deflating evening before Nacho Monreal’s shot found the bottom corner via the German defender’s chest four minutes from time.

    Alexis Sanchez had rattled the bar and been denied by Huth’s last-ditch challenge in the Gunners’ best chances before the goal.

    But, Leicester also threatened, with Riyad Mahrez bringing a superb save out of Petr Cech in the first half, and then had penalty appeals turned down.

    Arsenal are now three points behind Manchester United and four behind fourth-placed Manchester City, having played the same number of games – at least one of the Manchester pair will drop points when both meet on Thursday.

    Liverpool, in third, are six points ahead of the Londoners having played two more games.

    Meanwhile, Tottenham kept up the pressure on the League leaders, Chelsea, as Christian Eriksen’s superb long-range strike secured a hard-fought victory at Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

    Spurs had struggled to break down a disciplined Palace side for much of the game and it looked like they would have to settle for a point.

    But Eriksen fired into the bottom corner from 30 yards late on to keep Spurs within four points of Chelsea with five games remaining.

    Also, Sunderland were left on the brink of relegation after losing to fellow strugglers, Middlesbrough, in the Tees-Wear derby, who registered their first victory of 2017.

  • Mahrez: We didn’t let Ranieri down

    Mahrez: We didn’t let Ranieri down

     

     

    Riyad Mahrez has dismissed insinuations in some quarters that Leicester City players let former Manager Claudio Ranieri down, adding however that criticism is “good for the team” as it spurs them on to prove a point

    Ranieri was sacked by Leicester nine months after winning the Premier League title, with the club in danger of being relegated. However, since his departure results have improved and Craig Shakespeare has won three games out of three in charge as Leicester have moved away from the bottom three and reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

    “The players and the club know we didn’t let Ranieri down so whoever wants to speak can speak,” he said. “The criticism doesn’t affect us. People speak because it is their job, they have to criticise. We are here to play and to win games.

    “Criticism is good for the team, it keeps us strong and then we can fight with more power.

    “We didn’t for six, seven months, now we have started. But that doesn’t mean everything is good, we’ve only won three games. We need to keep going because it’s not finished.”

    Leicester are the final English team in the Champions League and, although it seems unlikely, Mahrez has not ruled out winning the competition.

    “The Sevilla game was special,” he said. “We knew it would be a tough game but we put the intensity we needed to win the game.

    “It is very good seeing Leicester in the quarterfinals. We will see if the quarterfinals are the end or if we keep going.

    “I don’t think we can win it but the same was said about the Premier League. But the Champions League has huge, huge teams.”

    Below is the Champions league draw released on Friday:

    Atletico Madrid v Leicester City

    Borussia Dortmund v Monaco

    Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

    Juventus v Barcelona

  • AFCON: Mahrez targets more goals against Tunisia

    AFCON: Mahrez targets more goals against Tunisia

    Reigning African footballer of the year Riyad Mahrez will be looking to continue his goal scoring form as The Fennecs take on Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in their second match of the ongoing Afcon 2017 in Gabon.

    Mahrez who is topping the scorer’s chat after the first round of matches was impressive in the first match with clinical finishes, grabbing a brace in the 2-2 draw against Warriors of Zimbabwe.

    His goals were breath taking especially the opening goal where he had to get the ball past a battery of defenders, who probably have been told to checkmate the African number one who is likely to go the extra mile to prove that he is indeed the best within the season under review.

    The Leicester city ace and BBC African footballer of the year leads Gabon international and Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who has a goal in the kitty. Others who contributed to the 12 goals scored after opening matches include Andre Ayew (Ghana) Issoufou Dayo (Burkin Faso) Junior Kabananga (DR Congo) Kudakwashe Mahachi (Zimbabwe) Sadio Mané (Senegal) Juary (Guinea Bissau) Kara Mbodj (Senegal) Benjamin Moukandjo and Nyasha Mushekwi (Zimbabwe).

    Algeria are banking on Mahrez not only to fire the team to greater height in Gabon but also in the Post Nations cup campaign where the team will be facing Nigeria in continuation of  World Cup qualifiers.

    Algeria take on their North African neighbors Tunisia Thursday at the Stade de Franceville, just as Taranga Lions with an edge after winning against Tunisia will be hoping to consolidate against hard fighting Zimbabwe

  • Mahrez targets AFCON title with Algeria

    Mahrez targets AFCON title with Algeria

    Newly crowned African Player of the Year, Riyad Mahrez, on Thursday said his next target is to help Algeria win the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations title in Gabon.

    The Leicester City forward dethroned Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Africa best player at Thursday’s Glo-CAF gala in Abuja, after playing a key role in the Foxes’ English Premier League triumph, Goal reports.

    While admitting piping Aubameyang and Liverpool’s Sadio Mané to the award was no mean feat, Mahrez is hoping to help the Fennecs conquer the continent when Africa’s biggest football showpiece kicks off in Gabon.

    “I’m very happy to win it,” Goal quoted Mahrez as saying to journalists after receiving his award.

    “Honestly, it was between two big players. It is never easy to win a big award like this.

    “I’m very happy and very pleased; [I am not done yet ] as I just have to keep going.

    “The next thing after this award is the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. My team will try to do good things there.

    “It is not going to be easy in Africa but it will be good maybe to win the title.”

    Algeria won its only AFCON title in 1990.

     

     

     

  • 2016 Glo-Caf Awards:  Marhez wins  African footballer of the year

    2016 Glo-Caf Awards: Marhez wins African footballer of the year

    Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez was named the best African footballer of the year at the 2016 Glo-Caf Awards held in Abuja on Thursday.

    The 25-year-old Algerian, who inspired Leicester to the Premier League title, is already the PFA Player of the Year and BBC African Footballer of the Year was picked ahead of  Borussia Dortmund’s Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang  and Senegal and Liverpool striker Sadio Mane who was third.

    Twenty-five  year old Mahrez  began his career as a youth player for French club AAS Sarcelles. He turned professional in 2009 with Quimper, where he played for only one season before moving to Le Havre, spending a total of three years with them, initially playing for their reserve team and then becoming a first-team regular.

    In January 2014, Mahrez signed for English side Leicester City, helping them win the Football League Championship and promotion to the Premier League at the end of his first season. In the 2015–16 season he was the Algerian Footballer of the Year, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and was a member of the Premier League PFA Team of the Year as he helped Leicester City win the Premier League.

     

    Mahrez made his international debut for Algeria in 2014 and represented them at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

     

    Mahrez who  dedicated his award to his team mates, country  and family polled 361 votes  while Aubamyang earned 331 votes. Mane was a distant third  on 186 votes.

     

     

     

     

     

    **African Footballer of the Year Nominees

     

    Pierre Emerick Aubameyang [ Gabon& Borrusia Dortmund} 1st Runner-Up

     

    Riyahd Marhez [ Algeria& Leicester City]

     

    Sadio Mane [ Senegal & Liverpool]

  • Mahrez wins BBC African Player of the Year award

    Mahrez wins BBC African Player of the Year award

    Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez was named the BBC’s African Player of the Year for 2016 on Monday evening.

    The 25-year-old Fennec Foxes star, who also won the 2015/16 PFA Players’ Player of the Year gong for his brilliance in a Leicester City shirt, edged out Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew and Yaya Toure to take the prize.

    The announcement was made on Monday night during BBC Focus on African TV and caps off a great year for Mahrez, who was a key part of Leicester’s stunning Premier League triumph.

    Mahrez will look to find his best form for Algeria when the Fennecs compete in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon early next year.

  • Mikel, Musa, Iheanacho out of CAF Player of the Year race

    Mikel, Musa, Iheanacho out of CAF Player of the Year race

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the top five shortlists for the 2016 African Player of the Year award with the Super Eagles trio of Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho not making the cut.

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah and Islam Slimani made the top five decided by votes from the members of the CAF Media Committee, CAF Technical & Development Committee and half of the 20-member panel of experts, Goal reports.

    Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang won the 2015 award after a sizzling start to the previous season for the Bundesliga club.

    In the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category, Dennis Onyango, Hlompho Kekana, Keegan Dolly and Khama Billiat from the 2016 African Champions League winning side, Mamelodi Sundowns, made the mark with T.P Mazembe’s Rainford Kabala completing the list.

    The winners will be decided by votes from the head coaches and Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF.

    The Glo/CAF awards gala night will take place on January 5, 2017 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.

  • Mahrez wins English PFA award

    Mahrez wins English PFA award

    Leicester City forward, Riyad Mahrez, was named English player of the year by the Professional Footballers’ Association on Sunday.

    The 25-year-old Algerian international, the first Leicester player and African to win the award, has scored 17 goals and made 11 assists in 34 league games to help Leicester move to the top of English Premier League (EPL), Reuters reported.

    Mahrez finished ahead of fellow Leicester players – Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante, Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet.

    The Algerian praised the contribution of his team mates and manager Claudio Ranieri after being voted the best player in England by his fellow professionals.

    “All the credit is for them, seriously,” Reuters quoted Mahrez, who joined Leicester from French second-tier side Le Havre in January 2014, as saying on Sunday.

    “And for my manager and the staff. Without them I wouldn’t receive this award and I wouldn’t score. It’s the team spirit, and I want to dedicate it to them.

    “It’s extra special because if the players vote for me it’s because they’ve seen I’ve been great this year so I’m happy.

    “Without my team mates I wouldn’t get this award.”

    Mahrez also spoke of his pride at being the first African player to receive the award won last year by Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard.

     

  • Moses, Ighalo listed for EPL award

    Moses, Ighalo listed for EPL award

    Nigeria stars Victor Moses and Odion Ighalo are among five players nominated for the September edition of the English Premier League’s African Player of the Month.

    “Africans hit the ground running in the Premier League in August, and although Andre Ayew won it, many performances by Africans were worthy of note and mention. This month has not been different,” africanFootball.com quoted the awards director, Tunde Adelakun, as saying on Tuesday.

    Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez from Algeria makes a return to the top performers chart this month.

    Joining Mahrez, who has netted five goals this season, only bettered by his club mate Jamie Vardy, are Moses, Ighalo, Sebastian Bassong from Norwich and Mame Biram Diouf from Stoke City.

    “We have a shortlist of five players this month, because we have not been able to separate our players in terms of brilliance this month. The standard has been that high,” Adelakun added.

    The statement goes on to applaud the impact of all Africans in the Leagues worldwide this far, stating that “if our guys continue this way, and can take this kind of form into international football, Africa should be world beaters in football very soon.”