Football

Riyad Mahrez joins Al-Ahli in £30m deal

Published

3 years ago

July 29, 2023

Riyad Mahrez jJoins Al-Ahli in £30m deal

Saudi Arabia club, Al-Ahli has signed Manchester City player, Riyad Mahrez for £30 million as the Algeria national team captain completes his transfer to the Saudi Pro League side.

The 32-year-old, who had two years left on his contract, is the latest big-name recruit by the SPL, BBC reported on Friday.

In 2018, City paid £60m for Mahrez and he has scored 15 goals in 47 games in the Blues’ Treble-winning campaign last season.

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He said, “To play for Manchester City has been an honour and privilege. I came to City to win trophies and enjoy my football.

“I achieved all that and so much more and made a lifetime of wonderful memories. Manchester City will forever be a huge and happy part of my life.”

Mahrez has helped City win 10 major honours during five seasons with the club but didn’t play in the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

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Vote-buying remains a major concern One of the strongest warnings from Osun was the continued presence of vote-buying and voter inducement. Yiaga Africa said the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were consistent with its independent statistical projections, but cautioned that this did not remove concerns about the integrity of voters' choices amid reports of vote-buying and inducement. The concern is particularly significant ahead of 2027, when political competition will take place nationwide and involve presidential, National Assembly and state-level contests. The International Republican Institute (IRI), following a pre-election assessment mission conducted in August, identified monetised political competition, election-related violence, insecurity and declining public confidence in INEC among the structural challenges facing the 2027 elections. 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These problems underline the need for INEC to ensure that electoral technology is not only available but also reliable, properly tested and supported by effective backup systems. Security remains another test for 2027 Although voting was generally peaceful, isolated incidents of violence and disruption were reported during the Osun poll. CDD called for security agencies to maintain political neutrality, investigate reported incidents and protect voters regardless of their political affiliation. IRI has similarly warned that insecurity and election-related violence could undermine meaningful political participation in 2027. Its assessment noted that more than 81 election-related violent incidents had been recorded in Osun in the year preceding the governorship election, with violence increasing as Election Day approached. 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With Nigeria's 2027 general elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, the Osun experience provides both a warning and an opportunity: the country has made progress in electoral transparency, but vote-buying, insecurity and declining trust must be confronted before they are magnified across a nationwide election.

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Riyad Mahrez joins Al-Ahli in £30m deal

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Riyad Mahrez joins Al-Ahli in £30m deal

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