Farid Benstiti names Algeria squad with seven changes for 2026 Women’s AFCON

Algeria have confirmed their 26-player squad for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with head coach Farid Benstiti making seven changes to the group that represented the country at the previous edition of the tournament in Morocco.

The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) announced the final selection on Sunday as preparations continue for the continental competition, which will be staged in Morocco from July 26 to August 16.

Benstiti has opted to refresh his squad by introducing several new faces while retaining a number of experienced players who helped the team reach a historic milestone at the last tournament.

Among the newcomers are goalkeeper Amira Benaissa of FC Fleury 91, defender Lana Smits Ouraghi from Reims, and forwards Sofia Bekhaled of OL Lyonnes, Lynda Bendris of AS Cannes, Inès Khiri from Yverdon, Khouloud Ournani of CF Akbou, and Algerian forward Ikram Adjabi of Le Havre.

The inclusion of the seven players represents the biggest change from the previous squad, giving several footballers their opportunity to feature on one of African women’s football’s biggest stages.

While new names have been introduced, several players who featured previously will not be part of the squad this time. Lamia Lounas, Hanna Boubezari, Imane Chebel, Ghoutia Karchouni and Emma Smaali have all missed out on selection.

The team will also be without Lina Khelif and Naïma Bouhani, who retired from international football shortly after the previous edition of the tournament.

Despite those departures, Benstiti has maintained the core of the side by keeping a number of regular internationals in his plans. Sofia Guellati, Inès Belloumou, Marine Dafeur, Mélinne D’Oria, Lina Boussaha and Chloé N’Gazi have all retained their places as Algeria look to build on their recent progress.

The squad heads into the competition following the country’s best-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign. At the last edition, Algeria advanced beyond the group stage for the first time in their history after finishing second in their pool.

Their impressive run eventually came to an end in the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Ghana, who later secured a third-place finish in the tournament.

Algeria now face another demanding challenge as they prepare for the 2026 finals. Benstiti’s side have been drawn alongside Senegal, hosts Morocco and Kenya in the group stage, setting up a series of difficult fixtures as they aim to reach the knockout rounds once again.

With a blend of experienced internationals and seven fresh additions, Algeria will hope the balance within the squad can help them improve on their previous performance and make another memorable impact at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.