Rayan Aït Nouri dropped from the Greens following his outburst against Zambia.
The decision is made. Rayan Aït Nouri will not finish the September gathering with the national team. The technical staff of the Greens officially announced his exclusion on Saturday morning, just twenty-four hours after the victory against Zambia (3-1) in Tizi-Ouzou. The reason: his behavior on the bench, deemed unacceptable by the coaching staff.
The Manchester City left-back is expected to pack his bags in the afternoon and leave the National Technical Center in Sidi-Moussa. It’s a drastic decision, but it surprised no one within the selection's entourage.
Brahim Hemdani made a decision to maintain his authority
The new coach had much to lose in this matter. Allowing such a breach would have compromised his authority right from the start. By opting for strictness, Brahim Hemdani sends a clear message to the entire team: the collective takes precedence over individualities.
Arriving this summer to succeed Vladimir Petkovic, the coach had already surprised by revealing a modified list for this September gathering, with ten returns and eight players excluded. He is now adopting an equally firm disciplinary line.
His staff, which includes Antar Yahia, Nacerddine Berarma, and Nacer Daineche, has approved this direction. The sanction was communicated early in the morning.
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What really happened on the bench during the match against Zambia
On Friday night, at the Hocine-Aït-Ahmed Stadium, the defender was not in the starting lineup. After Zambia equalized, he was sent to warm up for the first time, only to be invited back to the bench. This incident left its mark.
When Ibrahim Maza restored the lead for the Fennecs, the tension escalated. The altercation between the coach and his defender during the match unfolded in front of the cameras and the 50,000 spectators present. The player trained at Angers ultimately did not play a single minute.
This reaction, considered violent by the staff, sealed his fate. The images quickly circulated on social media, sparking a lively debate among Algerian supporters.
Jaouen Hadjam has redefined the hierarchy at left-back
It would be simplistic to reduce this issue to a mere outburst of anger. Competition on the left has intensified in recent weeks, and the Manchester City player no longer holds the undisputed starting status he once had.
Starting in his place, Jaouen Hadjam rose to the occasion brilliantly. In the second minute, the Feyenoord player opened the scoring in the Greens' victory against Zambia, thanks to a pass from Mohamed Amoura. A convincing performance that validates the coach's initial choice.
Ramy Bensebaïni also remains a valid option on that flank. The staff therefore has several alternatives, which likely facilitated the final decision.
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A tense trip to Burundi for the Greens
The team has little time to dwell on this matter. On September 29, they will travel to Bujumbura to face Burundi in the second round of Group I of the CAN 2027 qualifiers. A match that Hemdani is already approaching weakened.
The group had already lost Nabil Bentaleb, who was forced to withdraw after his injury with Lille. Luca Zidane and Rafik Belghali were also suspended for the match against Zambia. Additionally, Amine Gouiri exited due to injury in the eighteenth minute on Friday.
The question of how to numerically replace the excluded defender has not yet been resolved by the staff. Before the inaugural match, several questions already surrounded Hemdani's first appearance on the bench. These have multiplied in just a few days.
Two qualifying tickets will be awarded in this group, which also includes Togo. Algeria has three points after one match. The hardest part starts now.
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