AFCON: Riyad Mahrez sends Cameroonian children crazy in heartwarming footage | OneFootball

Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez is one of the top footballers at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mahrez may have been born in France, but the Algerian opted to represent his parent's homeland on the international stage.

Algeria is the current holder of the AFCON title after their victory in 2019 and the country is one of the favourites to win the competition again.

The City winger is one of the best players to represent the nation for generations and is worshipped by the Algerian fanbase.

Mahrez was recently described by an Algeria fan who told The Athletic: "Mahrez is a national icon in Algeria, he’s a star in the truest sense of the term,"He's the golden boy of Algerian football."

This should come as no surprise to anybody who has witnessed the winger's incredible exploits at his Premier League club. The Algerian hero has already racked up six goals and four assists in just 16 appearances for City this season.

Mahrez has also had an impressive start to this season's Champions League campaign, registering five goals in the first six matches.

The City star's performances for club and country have resulted in the winger earning the captain's armband for his national team, further highlighting his importance to his country.

But it seems that Mahrez is also a star outside of Algeria, as a recent video clip shows hundreds of schoolchildren in Cameroon flocking to get a glimpse of the City player.

In the clip, the winger is seen exiting the Algerian national team bus before waving at the enormous crowd of children that had gathered to wait for him. A large group of police officers attended in an attempt to keep the crowd at a safe distance from the footballers.

The children went crazy at the mere sight of the Algerian, showing just how much it meant to the youngsters in a heartwarming moment.

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Where is the 2022 AFCON being hosted?

Cameroon Ivory Coast Burkina Faso Zambia

Mahrez may not be used to such an intense reception as his Premier League club is full of superstars who have to share the limelight. The winger is known to have a shy, quiet personality, and is the type of player who will happily put in the hard work without the need to be treated like a superstar.

But it's clear to see that when it comes to AFCON, Mahrez is up there with the absolute best the competition has to offer and is treated as such.