Hemdani – Ait-Nouri: confrontation during the Algeria-Zambia match

Ait-Nouri sent back to the bench then recalled after Maza's goal

After Zambia's equalizer, Hemdani had already asked Ait-Nouri to warm up once before sending him back to sit down. The situation remained tense on the bench.

When Maza restored Algeria's lead, the coach again asked Ait-Nouri to prepare to come on. Once again, he refused, leading to a direct verbal altercation with Hemdani.

The team's general manager, Moussa Saïb, then intervened to try to ease the tension between the coach and his player.

Amoura unhappy after his substitution

According to El-khabar, several players, including Amine Gouiri, also got involved to calm the tensions on the bench. The same source mentioned images showing Ait-Nouri's anger, as well as an intervention from Antar Yahia asking Moussa Saïb to step back to avoid escalating the situation.

This source also reported another incident during the same match. Amine Amoura, replaced by Adel Boulbina, reportedly left the field visibly upset and refused to shake hands with Brahim Hemdani. However, this information has not been confirmed by a French source questioned about it.

Also read: Algeria – Zambia: five questions before Hemdani's first match

Hemdani remains evasive in press conference

Asked about the incident after the match, Brahim Hemdani did not wish to elaborate on the subject. “I do not want to discuss a personal case,” he told reporters.

However, the coach set a clear framework regarding the management of his squad. “Our goal here is to serve the national team and defend its interests, nothing more. If an abnormal situation were to arise, whether in the club or the national team, we would take the necessary measures. In any case, in this specific case, there is nothing to say on the matter,” he added.

Ait-Nouri's limited playing time at club this season

This chapter comes at a particular time for the Manchester City defender. According to a French source, Ait-Nouri has accumulated only 105 minutes of playing time at the club since the start of the season.

Despite this situation, the player remains a historic member of the national team with 34 caps to his name. A former player of Angers, he has established himself in recent years as an indispensable starter on the left flank for Algeria.

Hemdani's options moving forward

The management of this incident will now take place internally, away from the cameras. Hemdani hinted that no leniency would be shown in the case of behavior deemed problematic, without publicly naming the player involved.

It remains to be seen how the coach will interact with Ait-Nouri in upcoming call-ups, as competition has intensified with the emergence of Jaouen Hadjam in the same position.

Also read: Hemdani defends his choices and outlines his ambitions