Mahious backs Algeria for CHAN title: ‘This is our time to win it’

Algeria national team forward Aimen Mahious has backed his side to go all the way and lift the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) in East Africa.

The North Africans kicked off their campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory against hosts Uganda at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, to send a strong statement to rivals that they were in the tournament to win.

“Yes, it was our first match and we started with a 3-0 victory, which also gave us our first three points. We hope to maintain the same level, or even improve, in the upcoming matches so we can continue collecting more points,” Mahious told CAFOnline.com.

“We definitely wanted to start strong, but we didn’t expect to win by three goals. Uganda are the host nation and we respected them, especially playing in front of their fans. We followed our coaching staff’s instructions and knew how to control the game and manage it in our favour.”

He added: “We have a balanced squad, combining experienced players and young talent. Many of the players who came on in the second half have experience in African club competitions — the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup. We must use that experience wisely.

“We’re taking it step by step. We’re not yet the favourites, and we need to prove ourselves in every match.”

Algeria, who are topping Group C, will next face South Africa at Mandela Stadium on Friday.