Mahrez scores again for Al Shamal
DOHA — Riyad Mahrez, the former Algeria captain, scored his second goal for Al Shamal in the headline fixture of the round in the Qatar Stars League.
The Algerian winger levelled from the penalty spot shortly before half-time, after his compatriot Baghdad Bounedjah had won the spot kick. The goal earned Al Shamal a valuable point against one of the giants of Qatari football, the most decorated club in the country.
The moment carried a particular resonance for Algerian supporters. Mahrez and Bounedjah were two of the leading figures of the side that won the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2019, a title sealed by an early goal from Bounedjah in the final against Senegal. Seven years later, the two veterans are teammates again, this time at club level in Doha.
Mahrez, 35, moved to Qatar this season after a career that took him from Le Havre to Leicester City, where he won a surprise Premier League title in 2016, then to Manchester City, with whom he collected a series of trophies, including the Champions League in 2023. He then played in Saudi Arabia for Al-Ahli.
His arrival at Al Shamal has added experience and creativity to a club that has built a strong Algerian connection around Bounedjah, one of the most prolific strikers in the history of the Qatari league.
For Mahrez, the goal confirms that he has quickly found his place in his new surroundings.
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