Riyad Mahrez: 'We're Ready for Botswana Despite the Long Trip, Timing and Fasting'

El Chorouk

07-03-2025

The Fennecs captain, Riyad Mahrez, confirmed that he is ready to lead the team in the upcoming match against the Botswana national team in the fifth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Mahrez sent a strong message to the Algerians about returning with a good result, despite his acknowledgement of the hardships and difficult circumstances awaiting the 'Desert Warriors' during this trip to Francistown, which coincides with the holy month of Ramadan.
The 2019 African champion told the WinWin sports website on Tuesday evening, after his team Al-Ahly Saudi Arabia defeated Al-Rayyan Qatar in the second leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16, that the national team's next match in the World Cup qualifiers against the 'Zebras' will take place in hard circumstances: 'The Botswana match will be difficult, we will have a long trip in the month of Ramadan, but we will be able to do it, inchallah,' referring to the Fennecs' insistence on winning there in Francistown.
The leader of the 'Desert Warriors' called on his teammates to focus on the match and its known details, most notably the difficult time it will take place, as it will be played at 3:00 pm Botswana time, 2:00 pm Algerian time, saying: 'We will play at 3:00 pm and we must focus on this match at this time.'
Regarding his readiness for this important match in the calculations of qualifying for the next World Cup despite its difficult circumstances, the former Manchester City star confirmed with great confidence: 'Yes… I am ready.'
Algerian fans are betting heavily on Riyad Mahrez, the national team's top star, to lead the 'Desert Warriors' to victory in the next two matches for the World Cup qualifiers against Botswana and Mozambique, respectively, especially since he is currently in his best conditions.
However, Mahrez spoke in the same statements about the match between Al Rayyan of Qatar and Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, which ended with his team winning (1-3), paving the way for qualifying for the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/2025, in which he shone and scored a new goal in the Asian competition.
Although Riyad Mahrez refused to be overly optimistic when talking about his team Al-Ahli (KSA) being nominated to win the AFC Champions League and explained in this regard: 'It is too early to talk about the cup. We will play match after match. Al Hamdoulillah we won today against Al-Rayyan. Next week we must qualify and finish the mission, and then we will see.'
With his brilliance during the Al Rayyan match, the Algerian star confirmed his football brilliance in the current season with Al Ahly, as he became the player from Al Ahly who contributed the most goals in a single version of the AFC Champions League, with 13 goal contributions in 9 matches (scoring 6 goals and making 7).
It should be noted that the national team will face its Botswana counterpart on March 21 in the fifth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, at the Obert Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, before hosting the Mozambican national team in the sixth round on March 25, at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou.
The Fennecs currently lead Group 7 with 9 points, ahead of Mozambique on goal difference, and ahead of teams that have not yet had their final say in the qualifiers, including Guinea, which has 6 points, and is the team that beat Algeria at Nelson Mandela Stadium in the Algerian capital in the third round by two goals to one.