CAF Awards: Algerians blame Morocco football president for Mahrez exclusion

Algerian media outlets have accused the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa, of orchestrating the exclusion of Riyad Mahrez (FRMF) from the final list of men’s award for the CAF African Footballer of the Year Award.

Earlier, guests at the award gala were jolted by the news that Algeria would not be part of the event because they were protesting the exclusion of their star player, Riyad Mahrez, from the final list of nominees for the men’s Footballer of the Year Award.

According to the Algerian argument, Mahrez, who won the UEFA Champions League and the Premiership during the period under review, did more than Mohammed Salah, whose club, Liverpool, could not finish among the top four sides in the English Premier League.

President of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), Walid Sadi, had on Sunday revealed that he would boycott the ceremony in solidarity with Riyad Mahrez.

Algerian coach Abdelhak Benchikha was on the list of finalists for the best African coach award, alongside Moroccan coach, Walid Regragui, and his Senegalese counterpart, Aliou Cissé.

The Algerian decision to boycott the CAF Awards did not come as a surprise to many, though, as Rabah Madjer and Lakhdar Belloumi, two former Algerian football stars, had declined CAF’s invitation to attend the previous ceremony in Rabat on the sidelines of the women’s CAN.