Algeria: Confrontation with Anthar Yahia, Aït Nouri's father claims!

Oct 3, 2026

The Rayan Aït Nouri affair continues to escalate, with each day bringing new revelations that fuel the discomfort surrounding the Algerian coaching staff.

Since Rayan Aït Nouri's exclusion from the national team on September 26, following the first match of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers against Zambia, many elements have emerged.

First, the player's behavior on the bench has divided opinions, followed by edited images during warm-ups, and finally, the discoveries shared by journalist Rafik Ouahid from El Khabar.

He relayed statements from the left-back's father, Farouk Aït Nouri, who allegedly indicated that the discomfort began on August 22, with Anthar Yahia, the assistant to coach Brahim Hemdani.

The Oum Dourman striker reportedly contacted the father to inform him that with his son's limited playing time at Manchester City, it was highly likely he would not be selected, even though Brahim Hemdani had not yet been appointed.

In a moment of anger, Farouk Aït Nouri allegedly threatened that his son would not participate in the national team if he was not called up for the September camp. He believes that Rayan Aït Nouri suffered "humiliation" by warming up twice without entering the field, which is linked to this situation.

So far, these have only been statements reported by journalist Rafik Ouahid, but yesterday, another journalist, Athmane Talbi from France 24, close to the Aït Nouri family, released a video of the player's father confirming he had spoken with Rafik Ouahid...

It remains to be seen what Rayan Aït Nouri will say, as he plans to speak at the end of the camp on October 6. In any case, the father is trying to defuse the situation by stating he wants everything to return to normal.

DZfoot