Belmadi names 24-man squad for Algeria’s friendlies

by Graeme Jackson

Wednesday Oct 07, 2020. 12:00

Algeria national team manager Djamel Belmadi has named a 24-man squad for their upcoming international friendlies against Nigeria and Mexico.

The Fennec Foxes will face the Super Eagles in a rematch of the teams’ 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semifinal on Friday 9 October in Austria, while their clash against Mexico is set for The Hague in Holland on Tuesday 13 October.

Algeria will be using the matches as preparation for the resumption of AFCON qualifiers in November, when they are scheduled to have back-to-back matches against Zimbabwe in Group H.

With Algeria’s Ligue 1 inactive since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Belmadi has named an entire selection based overseas.

The new call-ups are Portugal-based Abdeljalil Medioub, as well as French-based Maxime Spano-Rahou and Mehdi Zerkane.

Algeria squad

Goalkeepers: Raïs M’bolhi (Ettifaq, Saudi Arabia), Izzedine Doukha (Al-Raed, Saudi Arabia), Alexandre Oukidja (FC Metz, France).

Defenders: Mohamed Salim Fares (Lazio, Italy), Aïssa Mandi (Real Betis, Spain), Ramy Bensebaïni (Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany), Jean Mehdi Tahrat (Abha, Saudi Arabia), Mohamed Reda Halaïmia (K. Beerschot VA, Belgium), Mehdi Zeffane (Kylia Sovetov Samara, Russia), Abdeljalil Medioub (CD Tondela, Portugal), Maxime Spano-Rahou (Valenciennes, France).

Midfielders: Adlène Guedioura (Al-Gharafa, Qatar), Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan, Italy), Mehdi Abeïd (Nantes, France), Mehdi Zerkane (Girondins de Bordeaux, France), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray, Turkey), Haris Belkebla (Stade Brestois, France).

Forwards: Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd, Qatar), Farid Boulaya (Metz, France), Ryad Mahrez (Manchester City, England), Yacine Brahimi (Al-Rayyan, Qatar), Saïd Benrahma (Brentford, England), Zinedine Ferhat (Nîmes Olympique, France), Andy Delort (Montpellier HSC, France).