2027 AFCON qualifiers: Brahim Hemdani confident Algeria can overcome injury setbacks against Togo

Algeria assistant coach Brahim Hemdani insists the team have enough quality and depth to overcome their injury problems ahead of Saturday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Togo.

The Greens have suffered several withdrawals ahead of the Group I encounter, raising concerns about their preparations. However, Hemdani has dismissed suggestions that the absences could derail their plans, insisting the squad has enough options to compete.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Algerian coach acknowledged the difficulties caused by the withdrawals but stressed that managing such situations was part of football at the highest level.

“Unfortunately, some players called up have withdrawn. This is not an abnormal situation, it happens. We have to manage and trust the entire squad. This is part of the job of a top-level player, where you have to know how to deal with this kind of situation,” said the coach.

Algeria’s preparations have been affected by injuries to five players who were initially included in the squad.

Bachir Belloumi, Jaouen Hadjam, Hicham Boudaoui, Amin Chiakha and Rafik Belghali have all withdrawn after picking up injuries. Goalkeeper Abdelatif Ramdane has also left the camp for family reasons.

In response to the setbacks, Fahem Benaïssa-Yahia, Adem Zorgane and Saâdi Radouani have joined the squad to provide additional options for the technical team.

Despite the changes, Hemdani remains confident in the players available, pointing to their familiarity with the national team and their ability to adapt to different roles.

“We have what we need in our squad, we have options and players who already know the national team,” Hemdani insisted.

He also maintained that the withdrawals had not affected the team’s preparations, explaining that the coaching staff had already adjusted their plans to accommodate the available players.

“The players who left the squad haven’t impacted our preparation. We’re prepared both offensively and defensively. The only thing that’s changing is the profiles of the players who will be fielded.”

Hemdani expects difficult test against Togo

While confident in his squad’s ability to cope with the absences, Hemdani has warned that Algeria should expect a demanding contest against Togo.

The coach believes his players must show the right mentality and commitment if they are to secure another important result in their qualification campaign.

“It’s a difficult match. We must prove that we have the ability to overcome difficulties by putting in all the necessary ingredients to win the match.”

Algeria currently lead Group I with four points and will be looking to strengthen their position when they welcome Togo to the Hocine-Aït-Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou.

Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 local time on Saturday, 14 November.

A victory would give the Greens an opportunity to consolidate their position at the top of the group before travelling to Lomé for the return fixture on Tuesday, 17 November.

With several regular squad members unavailable, attention will also be on Hemdani’s selection decisions and the players chosen to fill the gaps left by the injured internationals.