Amine Gouiri suffers an injury: the Algeria forward withdraws from the trip to Burundi.
The same scenario almost played out identically. After leaving the match early on Friday night against Zambia, Amine Gouiri will not board the flight with the national team to Bujumbura. Medical examinations conducted on Saturday confirmed the concerns of the medical staff: the Olympique de Marseille forward is suffering from a muscle injury. Consequently, the technical staff decided to release him from the squad.
Gouiri's injury occurred after a collision with the Zambian goalkeeper
The striker spent only 18 minutes on the pitch at the Hocine-Aït-Ahmed Stadium. A strong challenge from the Zambian goalkeeper during a play was enough to end his participation. The team doctor, who was called to assess the player, deemed the risk too high. He preferred to withdraw him rather than risk aggravating the injury.
The substitution took place in the early minutes of this match, which was part of the first day of Group I of the CAN 2027 qualifiers. However, this was an unforeseen event that no one anticipated in a match otherwise controlled by Riyad Mahrez's teammates. In the end, they triumphed with a score of three goals to one, marking a victorious debut for Brahim Hemdani on the Algerian bench.
ALSO READ: Hemdani enjoys EN's victory over Zambia (3-1)
A premature return to Tizi Ouzou for the OM forward
This evening held special significance. Gouiri returned to a stadium he had not played in since October 14, 2025. That was the date of the Fennecs' last appearance in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Uganda. On that night, a violent collision with the Ugandan goalkeeper forced him to leave the field on a stretcher.
A long recovery followed. Kept off the pitch for several weeks, the Marseille player only returned to competition on January 4, during a league match against Nantes. In the meantime, he had to forgo the Africa Cup of Nations, depriving the Algerian attack of one of its main offensive options.
Since the national team had not returned to play in Kabylie since then, this match marked his reunion with the local fans. However, fate had other plans. This time, it is a muscle injury that keeps him away from the pitch.
Hemdani without an offensive option against Burundi
For Brahim Hemdani, the situation is becoming increasingly complicated. The coach had already been without Nabil Bentaleb, who withdrew before the training camp in Sidi Moussa. He was replaced at the last minute by Adil Bourabaâ. Then, the coach had to manage a delicate disciplinary situation following Rayan Aït Nouri's outburst, who was excluded from the squad the day after the victory against Zambia.
The team flies to Burundi this Sunday, without its star forward. The Greens will face Intamba mu Rugamba on September 29 in Bujumbura, for the second day of Group I, which also includes Togo. Furthermore, only two tickets will be awarded at the end of the campaign, leaving little room for error.
ALSO READ: Hemdani – Ait-Nouri: altercation during Algeria-Zambia match
Gouiri's return to Marseille to continue treatment
Released from his international commitments, the player returns to Marseille this Sunday. He will continue his treatment protocol under the supervision of the Olympique medical staff, who are well acquainted with his physical history following the episode in October 2025.
No duration of unavailability has been communicated yet. The timelines remain unclear, and further evaluations will be needed for more clarity. His participation in the match against Niger already seems compromised, though no certainty can be provided at this stage.
ALSO READ: Hemdani wins his debut: Algeria 3-1 Zambia
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