An African superstar has now been slammed for seemingly gaining weight, and told he should be more like Cristiano Ronaldo.
2016 CAF Men's Footballer of the Year Riyad Mahrez has somewhat gone under the radar since leaving Manchester City at the end of the 2022/23 season.
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The Algeria international is now on track to complete his first campaign with Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, where he has registered 11 goals and 12 assists in 30 matches in all competitions so far.
Despite his productive stats this term, the winger has faced some criticism over the course of the season, especially in relation to his national team.
Algeria were knocked out of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage, finishing bottom of their group with two points from three matches.
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Mahrez headed into the tournament as the captain of the side, but was dropped to the bench after the first two matches and played just 45 minutes of the must-win third game for his country.
Now, after opting to sit out the Lions of Carthage's fixture for the March international break, including a clash against Bafana Bafana, Algerian legend Mustapha Hadji has not held back on his assessment of Mahrez's performances this season, insisting that the 33-year-old has put on weight.
Speaking during an interview with Al Arabiya, Hadji said: "Mahrez lacks enthusiasm mentally when he plays, he doesn't look for the ball. He is not as active as he should be on the right side, and when he loses the ball, he does not make the effort to recover it.
"I think Mahrez is not in the best shape. He is suffering from a significant physical problem due to a weight gain of 4 to 5 kilograms since his transfer to Saudi Arabia.
"Even when I saw him with the Algerian national team during the African Cup, he was not at his usual level.
"I think he should follow the example of Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays with intensity even at the age of 40."
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