Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez is preparing for a challenging encounter against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

The two-time AFCON champions will face Nigeria in a Round of 16 fixture at the Grande Stade Marrakech on Saturday.

Mahrez scored the decisive goal the last time the two nations met, during the semi-final of AFCON 2019 at Cairo International Stadium, Egypt.

Algeria struggled to break down the Democratic Republic of Congo in their Round of 16 match, eventually securing a narrow 1-0 victory.

Mahrez expects a more open contest against Nigeria, which he believes will play to Algeria’s strengths.

“In our next match, we will face a different opponent compared to DR Congo,” Mahrez said on Friday.
“We expect the next match to be more open, which will give us more space to showcase our abilities, and we must be fully prepared.”