Qatar is once again accused of "stealing" a rising star from Algerian football. Following Omar Rafik in 2025, it is now 16-year-old Yacine Abed who is at the center of controversy.
The daily El Khabar revealed this issue in an article published on Saturday, September 12, questioning the role of Paradou AC, the club that developed this young Algerian talent.
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Yacine Abed left the U17 national team training camp immediately after the session ended to sign a new contract with Al Ahli SC. According to the newspaper, this departure is linked to Qatar's strategy of naturalizing young footballers to strengthen its national team with quality players.
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Paradou AC, suspected of being involved in this transfer, responded on Saturday with a statement categorically rejecting any insinuation that it "organized, facilitated, or tolerated" Yacine Abed's departure.
Paradou speaks out on the case of Algerian gem Yacine Abed
The management of Paradou AC, which has developed many Algerian internationals playing in Europe such as Ramy Bensebaini, Hicham Boudaoui, and Adel Titraoui, clarified that Yacine Abed is "under contract" with the club, which was "submitted in full compliance to the Professional Football League (LFP) on January 13, 2026."
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Paradou AC even presents itself as a victim. It explains that after the national team's training camp, Yacine Abed "did not report to the club" and that "several attempts to contact him and his father were unsuccessful."
To absolve itself of any responsibility in what appears to be an "escape," the club from this prestigious neighborhood in Algiers has contacted the FAF "solely to obtain support from its governing body in managing this case and to allow the competent authorities to assess the situation." "Because this issue concerns the future of Algerian football," asserts Paradou AC, insisting that it has no interest "in orchestrating the departure of one of its best young players, as its model is precisely based on developing, protecting, and showcasing young talents."
The champion of youth football development in Algeria reminds that regulations "strictly govern international transfers of players under 18" and emphasizes that "the mere fact that a 16-year-old player goes to Qatar does not, by itself, allow one to conclude that an international transfer or a transaction with a Qatari club has taken place."
