Abdelnour Soualhia in contention for Algeria debut under Brahim Hemdani

Brahim Hemdani could make Abdelnour Soualhia one of the surprise inclusions in his first Algeria squad, with the 25-year-old defender named in the expanded selection for the upcoming matches against Zambia and Burundi.

Soualhia’s inclusion in the preliminary group does not guarantee a place in the final squad, which is expected to be announced before 20 September. However, his selection is notable given that he was largely unknown to the wider footballing public only a few months ago.

The left-footed centre-back, who plays for Telstar in the Eredivisie, has followed an unusual but steady route to the top level. Born in Angouleme in central-western France, he came through the youth systems at his hometown club, Limoges and Trelissac.

In 2021, he was playing for Cognac in National 3, the fifth tier of French football. He then moved up two divisions by joining Avoine in National 1 before signing for Le Puy-en-Velay in Ligue 3 in 2024.

A strong 2025-2026 campaign at Le Puy, during which he made 23 appearances and scored two goals, attracted the attention of AZ Alkmaar. The Dutch club, one of the leading sides in the league, signed him as a free agent this summer on a two-year contract with the option of a further season.

He was immediately loaned to Telstar, where he has made an impressive start to the season. His move to the Netherlands has given his career fresh momentum, with Soualhia quickly establishing himself in the Eredivisie and contributing a goal and an assist in his first two appearances.

At 1.94m, Soualhia offers a strong physical presence, but it is his ability to play out from defence that may appeal most to Hemdani’s staff. He is comfortable in challenges and prefers to build attacks rather than simply clear the ball.

Speaking to Anti Chambre, Soualhia said he would rather “play the ball out cleanly” than get rid of it, describing his passing from defence as one of his main strengths. AZ Alkmaar also highlighted his physical potential and his ability to adapt quickly to Dutch football.

His possible selection would underline the approach of the new Hemdani-Yahia partnership. Former Algeria players Baghdad Bounedjah, Yacine Brahimi and Youcef Belaili are also reported to have been included in the preliminary group, suggesting the staff are not seeking to choose between experienced figures and emerging players.

Soualhia represents the less established end of that spectrum. He has no previous international experience and has spent only a few weeks playing at the highest level in the Netherlands.

The next challenge is to make the final squad. If he succeeds, his rise from National 3 in France to contention for Algeria would take another significant step.