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The reigning Africa Cup of Nations champion Algeria began its title defense Tuesday with a match against Sierra Leone in Douala, meaning it was also time to get a first glimpse of three-time Premier League winner and 2016 African Footballer of the Year Riyad Mahrez.
Mahrez was the most electrifying player at the 2019 tournament (that sensational game-winning free kick against Nigeria in the semifinals still gives chills), and the 30-year-old winger was in top form for Manchester City — 13 goals and five assists in 24 appearances across all competitions — before arriving in Cameroon.
He's one of the star attractions of AFCON, and this video of school kids greeting Algeria's team bus and losing their collective minds when Mahrez appears is what this tournament is all about — Africa's best players showing up and showing out for the continent.
These school kids in Cameroon were HYPED to see Riyad Mahrez ❤️
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 11, 2022
Des habitants camerounais qui scandent le nom de « Mahrez » et « 1.2.3 Viva l’Algérie » aux côtés de supporters algériens ! #TeamAlgeria #Mahrez pic.twitter.com/wQl7KxuAtj
— La Vague Verte (@VerteVague) January 11, 2022
After a run of five consecutive 1-0 matches, we unfortunately had our first scoreless draw of AFCON between Mahrez's Algeria and Kei Kamara's Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone (making its first AFCON appearance since 1996) entered the tournament ranked 108th in the world and already eliminated from World Cup contention, but the Leone Stars got seven saves from 22-year-old goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara to frustrate the world's 29th ranked team.
¡El guante salvador de Mohamed Kamara! El arquero de Sierra Leona le negó el gol a Brahimi.
Disfruta al #TeamAlgeria vs. #TeamSierraLeone en vivo y en exclusiva por beIN SPORTS Ñ.#TotalEnergiesAFCON pic.twitter.com/782kqUqHn8— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) January 11, 2022
Mahrez and Algeria keep trying to break through Sierra Leone defense! #TeamAlgeria vs. #TeamSierraLeone is LIVE NOW on beIN SPORTS!#TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 | #AFCON2021 pic.twitter.com/acb7ervZcR
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) January 11, 2022
There was a lot of emotion from start to finish. Kei Kamara was in tears at the end of the national anthem...
La emoción de Kei Kamara y la entera selección del Sierra Leona por poder participar en la #TotalEnergiesAFCON después de 26 años.
Disfruta el #TeamAlgeria vs. #TeamSierraLeone en vivo y en exclusiva por beIN SPORTS Ñ. pic.twitter.com/GKH6043ukM— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) January 11, 2022
And Mohamed Kamara was jubilant at the final whistle.
Después de 26 años de ausencia en la Copa Africana de Naciones, Sierra Leona logró empatar con la poderosa Argelia (el vigente campeón) y así lo festejó.
#TeamAlgeria 0-0 #TeamSierraLeone#TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 | #AFCON2021 pic.twitter.com/nFOvK8DmhM— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) January 11, 2022
The group's other two teams — Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea — play Wednesday.
