Algeria axe Rayan Aït-Nouri from camp after verbal row with coaching staff

Algeria have dismissed Manchester City defender Rayan Aït-Nouri from their ongoing training camp following an outburst involving the technical team during their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zambia.

The Desert Warriors secured a 3-1 victory over Zambia on Friday, but the match was overshadowed by an incident involving the 25-year-old left-back, who was left on the bench throughout the encounter.

Aït-Nouri had reportedly been preparing to come on as a substitute when the technical team changed its decision after Algeria scored their second goal.

The defender subsequently returned to the bench, but tensions escalated when he was later instructed to resume his warm-up.

According to reports, Aït-Nouri refused to follow the instructions, leading to a heated verbal exchange between the Manchester City player and members of the coaching staff.

The 25-year-old ultimately did not feature in the match, and Algeria coach Brahim Hemdani subsequently decided to release him from the national team camp.

The Algerian Football Federation confirmed the decision in an official statement.

“National team coach Mr. Brahim Hemdani decided this Saturday to release Rayan Aït-Nouri from the team’s ongoing training camp,” the federation stated.

Aït-Nouri’s dismissal comes at a time when he has also struggled for regular playing time at Manchester City this season, having made only two appearances for the Premier League club so far.

Despite the incident, Algeria secured an important 3-1 victory over Zambia in their AFCON qualifying campaign and will now continue their preparations without the Manchester City defender.

Aït-Nouri, meanwhile, will leave the national team camp following the dispute, bringing an abrupt end to his involvement in the current international break.