Riyad Mahrez announces international retirement after Algeria's World Cup exit
via SeneNews1 min read
Riyad Mahrez has announced his retirement from international football following Algeria's 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup round of 16. The 35-year-old captain confirmed this was his final match for the Algerian national team, stating, "It's now the turn of the new generation." Mahrez concludes a 12-year international career, leaving a significant mark on Algerian football. He amassed 119 caps and scored 40 goals, making him the second most-capped player and second-highest goal scorer in Algeria's history. His career highlight with the national team was leading Algeria to victory in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Mahrez also had a distinguished club career, winning multiple English Premier League titles and a Champions League with Leicester City and Manchester City.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Following Senegal's elimination from the 2026 World Cup, new details are surfacing regarding the internal workings of the national team. While senior players deny influencing coach Pape Thiaw's decisions, journalist Romain Molina's revelations suggest a different dynamic. Idrissa Gana Gueye stated that senior players only follow the coach's instructions and relay his messages to the team. However, Molina claims that more experienced players exerted significant influence during the tournament. He cited an incident during the 5-0 victory against Iraq, where Sadio Mané allegedly told Pape Thiaw during a cooling break, "Ibrahim Mbaye can't go on. He needs to be taken out." Ibrahim Mbaye was substituted in the 57th minute by Iliman Ndiaye, who then assisted Pape Gueye and scored Senegal's fifth goal. This event raises questions about the team's internal operations during the World Cup, especially given previous reports of tensions between some international players and the technical staff after their elimination by Belgium. The tournament concluded amidst heavy criticism of Pape Thiaw's management and Pape Gueye's decision to suspend his international career as long as the current technical staff remains.
Must ReadAfrican football teams demonstrated significant talent in the group stages of the 2026 World Cup, with 9 out of 10 teams qualifying for the second round, a historic record. However, their performance in the knockout rounds exposed underlying issues. Despite individual talent, a lack of rigor, excessive emotion, catastrophic management, and insufficient cohesion and common objective consciousness hindered their progress. The article suggests that while Africa possesses abundant football talent, the current management and coaching are not yet adequate to secure international trophies. It posits that players like Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé, if they had played for African national teams, might have faced similar disappointments. The author draws a parallel between football management and public governance, emphasizing that effective management is a long-term process. The article identifies short-sighted planning, improvisation, and a lack of ethical responsibility as major impediments to African nations' development, both in sports and broader societal contexts. Morocco is highlighted as an exception, with its football management reflecting its strong institutions and development policies, making it a model for African emergence. The World Cup outcome is presented as an opportunity for Africa to critically assess its conditions for global competitiveness.
Must ReadMore than 600,000 displaced Lebanese have returned home since a ceasefire in late June between Israel and pro-Iranian Hezbollah, according to the International Organization for Migration IOM. The conflict, which began on March 2 when Hezbollah attacked Israel, displaced over one million people, primarily from southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Israeli retaliatory strikes and a ground offensive lasted over three months, resulting in nearly 4,300 deaths, according to Lebanese authorities. An IOM report indicates that 646,107 people have returned, while approximately 500,000 remain displaced as of June 22. A memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington on June 17 led to a ceasefire in Lebanon on June 21, followed by a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel on June 26 for "lasting peace." Informal camps in Beirut have been dismantled, and official shelters have decreased. However, returns to many southern localities, especially those near the border and heavily damaged by Israeli operations, are pending. Israel intends to maintain its troops up to ten kilometers from its border in southern Lebanon and continue occasional strikes. The US-mediated framework agreement, reached after five rounds of negotiations, conditions Israeli withdrawal on the disarmament of Hezbollah, which the group has refused. Observers question the Lebanese state's ability to achieve this, despite government commitments.