Algeria’s Fennecs coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, has unveiled the squad for the first leg of the World Cup play-offs against Burkina Faso in Brazil 2014. Despite a pre-selection of 36 players, Coach Vahid narrowed down the group to 26 players for the crucial encounter in Ouagadougou.
Notably, Inter Milan striker Ishak Belfodil did not make the cut for the first leg. On a positive note, Rennais’ Foued Kadir makes a return to the selection after being sidelined in the match against Mali. The former Marseille player has regained form and playing time since joining Stade Rennais.
The clash between Algeria and Burkina Faso is scheduled for October 12, marking the beginning of the play-offs for the Brazil 2014 World Cup. The match will be officiated by a quartet from Southern Africa.
The selected squad comprises:
Goalkeepers: Raïs Mbolhi (CSKA Sofia), Azzedine Doukha (USM El-Harrach), Cédric Si Mohamed (JSM Béjaïa), Mohamed-Lamine Zemmamouche (USM Alger)
Defenders: Mehdi Mostefa (AC Ajaccio), Cadamuro Liassine (Real Sociedad), Ghoulam Faouzi (AS Saint-Etienne), Djamel Mesbah (FC Parma), Nacer Khoualed (USM Alger), Madjid Bougherra (Lekhwiya), Ali Rial (JS Kabylie), Essaïd Belkalem (Watford), Carl Medjani (Olympiakos Piraeus).
Midfielders: Medhi Lacen (Getafe CF), Adlane Guedioura (Crystal Palace), Amir Karaoui (ES Sétif), Yassine Brahimi and Hassan Yebda (Granada CF), Saphir Taïder (FC Inter de Milan), Sofiane Feghouli (FC Valencia).
Forwards: Abdelmoumen Djabou (Club Africain), Foued Kadir (Stade Rennais), Hillal Soudani (Dynamo Zagreb), Nabil Ghilas (FC Porto), Mohamed-Lamine Aoudia (Dynamo Dresden), Islam Slimani (Sporting Portugal).
