Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has issued a rallying cry ahead of his team's blockbuster Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Nigeria, declaring the Desert Foxes are prepared to leave everything on the pitch for their nation.
The two continental giants are set to meet on Saturday, January 10, in a rematch of their tense 2019 semi-final, with both sides eyeing a place in the last four.
Mahrez, who has found the net three times in the tournament so far, emphasised that the high-stakes encounter will be decided by the finest of margins.
"It will be a very good game to play, and I think as good as well to watch, so we are ready," the veteran winger stated at a pre-match press conference. "We’re going to give everything for our country. We are in the big stages, and the big stages is about details, so I think it [the game against Nigeria] will be about details tomorrow."
The clash promises to be a tactical battle between two in-form sides. Algeria arrives having ground out a hard-fought 1-0 extra-time victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 16.
Nigeria, meanwhile, is the tournament's highest-scoring team, having netted 12 goals in four matches, including a 4-0 rout of Mozambique to reach this stage. Algeria will draw confidence from their historic 2019 AFCON triumph, where they defeated Nigeria en route to lifting the trophy.
With a spot in the semi-finals on the line, Mahrez's call for a detail-orientated, full-hearted performance sets the stage for what promises to be one of the most captivating matches of the 2025 tournament.
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