Algeria's first match under coach Brahim Hemdani against Zambia on Friday was marked by a notable incident involving the new coach of the Fennecs and defender Rayan Aït Nouri.
A regrettable event highlighted the nerves of the Manchester City player, who was on the bench during this first encounter of the national team in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations against Zambia (3-1) on September 25 in Tizi-Ouzou.
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Rayan Aït-Nouri was very upset and several teammates, along with Saïb, tried to calm him down.
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Brahim Hemdani opted for Jaouen Hadjam. A wise choice, as the Brighton defender opened the scoring for the Greens in the 2nd minute with a fine performance.
Algeria national team: what was the incident between Hemdani and Rayan Aït Nouri?
At the start of the second half, the Greens' coach asked Rayan Aït Nouri to warm up for a substitution, but Zambia's equalizer in the 57th minute disrupted his plans. He then instructed the Manchester City defender to return to the bench.
Ten minutes later, the national team regained the lead thanks to a goal from Ibrahim Maza, and Hemdani asked Aït Nouri to get up and warm up again. Furious, the Manchester City full-back refused and became angry.
Moussa Saïb, the national team manager, and other players, including Amine Gouiri, tried to calm him down, but to no avail. At the end of the match, Brahim Hemdani did not elaborate on the incident, suggesting that disciplinary measures could be considered against Aït Nouri.
