S p45 o r t s FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017 Riyad Mahrez: The high-rise desert fox takes on Africa

SARCELLES: “Riyad Mahrez? He’s an example!” goes the mantra in Sarcelles, a north Parisian housing project where strings of high-rise blocks were built in the 1950s and 1960s primarily to accommodate French settlers from Algeria. It was in this town 16km north of Paris that the Algerian international was born and raised, and the Premier League winner with Leicester who will be one of the stars of the upcoming African Cup of Nations continues to inspire. At AAS Sarcelles, Mahrez’s first club, the young wannabe footballers all seem to favour their left feet, like their idol, now 25. On one of the football pitches belonging to the multi-faceted Sarcelles sports club, the regional under-16 team fight to talk about Mahrez, and the praise is, unsurpris- ingly, high. Sekou and Yanis, naturally left-sided attacking midfielders, express their admiration for the path ABUJA: Algerian and Leicester forward Riyad Mahrez poses for a photo after trodden by a player long ignored as a being crowned African Footballer of the Year. — AFP youth because of what was deemed a CAIRO: Egypt’s Mohamed Salah takes part in a training that he’d become a professional. “We 18 years old and went out, you wanted puny physique. session prior to the international friendly football match weren’t optimistic then, but now he’s to have fun with your mates, go and Mahrez stagnated in Sarcelles’ sec- between Egypt and Tunisia at the Cairo International achieved it, we can only have respect see some girls,” said Seghiri. “Riyad ond or third teams, plying his trade in Stadium. —AFP for him.” Mahrez’s thirst for success had his ball - that’s why he’s unique!” the wider Paris region until he was 18 increased after the death of his before touching down in England five Algerian father Ahmed, his most fer- ‘Mahrez effect’ ‘The Egyptian Messi’: years later, after spells at Quimper and vent backer, in 2006. “That gave him Despite an unsuccessful trial in Le Havre. Mohamed, yet another ‘left- strength. He really did it for him, for Scotland when he was 18, Mahrez’s ie’, speaks of the ‘street’ style Mahrez Salah’s star rising me, the family,” says his big brother patience eventually paid dividends has maintained despite going profes- Wahid, 30. And choosing to represent when he signed for fourth division sional. “When he’s in front of a player, Algeria was something he did “for his side Quimper, departing for second MILAN: He may have failed to impress Jose Mourinho, but you know he’s going to skin him,” he dad”. “What made the difference was division club Le Havre a year later. Mohamed Salah has the chance at the Africa Cup of Nations to said. “It’s his speciality and I love it! that he always had a ball with him,” Leicester, then in the Championship, demonstrate just why he has been hailed as the ‘Egyptian Messi’. Imagine you’re facing a defender, you added another childhood friend, snapped up Mahrez for £400,000 in “Salah looks great,” Egypt coach Hector Cuper told the asroma.it do a step-over, change direction and Sofiane Seghiri. “When you were 16 to 2014, and the rest is history.—AFP website on Wednesday. “If he continues the way he’s going, he he falls: the crowd goes nuts! It’s too can become one of the best players in the world. I would love cool.” Faysal Abdelwahbi, 23, a child- that for him.” hood friend of Mahrez’s, was adamant For most, including Chelsea’s demanding fans, Salah probably that “everything started here”. “All the doesn’t even belong in a sentence that includes the names of things he does to defenders in England, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. But one thing is for sure: since we were on the receiving end right Ghana looking to his departure from Chelsea, the 24-year-old’s star is on the rise. back in the beginning. That step-over Roma’s fans owe a big thank you to Mourinho, who handed Salah dribble against Manchester United, end Cup drought a resolute ‘thanks but no thanks’ note in February 2015 after just sending (Chelsea’s Cesar) Azpilicueta 13 appearances, following an initial 11 million euros move from the wrong way, or really taking (Martin) FC Basel 13 months earlier. Demichelis to the cleaners...” he remi- ABUJA: The Black Stars of Ghana will in their last four games towards the Italian supporters are big fans of the faster-paced English nisced to general hilarity. again be one of the favorites for the end of last year so much so that their game, and when Salah came to Serie A, he was welcomed with Africa Cup of Nations as they aim to qualification hopes for the 2018 World open arms. Salah has since repaid their affection with relentless ‘Source of pride’ clinch a fifth title after their last tri- Cup hang in the balance. Juventus energy, lightning pace, great ball control and an eye for goal that And Faysal doesn’t want to forget umph 35 years ago. Ghana are one of midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah will be saw him bag a maiden Serie A hat-trick last month as he contin- the significance of the African Player the most successful teams in the con- the biggest absentee for Ghana as he ues to build an increasingly strong rapport with Roma striker Edin of the Year award handed to a dual- tinent’s football showpiece having has stayed back at his team to fight to Dzeko. Voted Roma’s player of the year in 2016, Salah has national brought up in the “most cos- won it in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982. regain his first-team shirt after he was become an integral part of the club’s push for a first title since mopolitan city in the world!” “That However, they have since fallen short, sidelined by injury for almost a year. 2001. It is 15 years since Francesco Totti drove Roma to just their someone from Sarcelles manages to being beaten in the championship However, Torino midfielder Afriyie third ‘scudetto’, and in the 40-year-old club icon’s 25th and prob- shine on a world level is a source of games for the 2010 and 2015 editions Acquah has backed his team to be ably final season, Roma are Juventus’s biggest title challengers. massive pride for us,” said Mohamed and reaching the semi-finals in 2012 champions again after a long wait. “I Salah certainly feels more at home at the Stadio Olimpico than at Coulibaly, the current Sarcelles coach. and 2013. think we have a good team like we Stamford Bridge. Despite flashes of brilliance, including scoring “You mustn’t forget the French side In 1982, oil-rich Libya paid for cash- had in the last tournament. We played his first Chelsea goal in a 6-0 win over bitter London rivals Arsenal because he remains a Franco-Algerian. strapped Ghana to attend the tourna- in the final in the previous edition but after replacing Oscar, Salah never impressed Mourinho. It’s a good image for the city, given all ment with the Black Stars inspired by we lost to the Ivory Coast after a you hear, the stigmatization that it can youngster Abedi Pele Ayew eventual- penalty shootout,” said Acquah. “We Revived career bring. It shows there is talent in sport. ly edging past their hosts in the final. have a tougher mentality this time Little did he know it, but after switching numbers from 15 to We’d love that to shine through in It was therefore understandable when around. We are working hard to be in 17 when Eden Hazard took number 10 at the start of the follow- other areas.” His Sarcelles friends all Ayew’s son Andre will weep uncon- the final and win the cup.” ing season, Salah’s time in a Chelsea shirt was almost up. He concurred that Mahrez, from a very trollably after Ghana fell on penalties Skipper Asamoah Gyan has contin- made only three appearances in the 2014-2015 season and by young age, was convinced he would in the championship game in ued to provide the goals and leader- February was on his way to Florence in a bid to revive a career succeed, even when the going got Equatorial Guinea 33 years later. The ship for a team who have brought in that had blossomed at Basel, where he scored three times against tough. signs are again good they will enjoy new blood with the inclusion of the Chelsea in Europe in successive seasons. “Most of the youngsters of his gen- another fine run in Gabon after they likes of Bernard Tekpety from Schalke Salah signed an 18-month loan deal, settling in quickly with a eration had signed for a club, but not qualified unbeaten in a group that 04 and Austria-based midfielder series of crucial goals including a brace in a 2-1 Italian Cup semi- him,” said Hayel Mbemba, 30, who included Mozambique, Rwanda and Samuel Tetteh. The Black Stars are final first leg win over Juventus and a goal against Tottenham in worked at Mahrez’s Chantereine sec- Mauritius. But at the same time, there drawn in a tough-looking Group D the Europa League that secured Fiorentina’s entry to the round o ondary school supervising the have been concerns over the team’s along with World Cup rivals Egypt and 16. Coach Vincenzo Montella, now at AC Milan, must have felt like teenagers. “And despite that, Riyad recent form after going without a win Uganda as well as Mali. — AFP Christmas had come again.—AFP swore on his life and that of his mum