Algerians give national team hero's welcome after AFCON victory

Algeria celebrate winning the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 in Algiers. Photo: Ramzi Boudina/Reuters

Algeria celebrate winning the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 in Algiers. Photo: Ramzi Boudina/Reuters

Published Jul 20, 2019

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ALGIERS – Algeria's national team arrived back home on Saturday

to a hero's welcome after they claimed their second Africa Cup title

the day before.

Algeria clinched the continental trophy after a 1-0 win in the final

in Cairo thanks to an early deflected goal from Baghdad Bounedjah.

Thousands of fervent supporters gathered Saturday outside the Houari

Boumediene airport in the Algerian capital.

Live television footage showed the team's captain Riyad Mahrez

lifting the trophy as he emerged from the plane that carried them

from Cairo.

The team later boarded a bus and greeted fans who lined the road from

the airport into the city.

Flying high with your title 🛫 🔝 #TotalAFCON2019 #CelebrateAfrica pic.twitter.com/43IchFKx1W

— CAF (@CAF_Online) July 20, 2019

Thousands more converged on the city's major squares, waving the

national flag and sporting the team's shirt in celebration of the

Fennecs' triumph.

Massive euphoria over the win tempers political tensions in the North

African country. 

In recent months, Algeria has been rocked by mass demonstrations that

forced long-time ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down in April.

Since then, demonstrations have continued in Algeria to pressure key

Bouteflika-era officials into leaving and demand an overhaul of the

political system. 

DPA

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