Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has announced a significant development in international football, revealing that dual-national Amin Chiakha, a Danish U19 international of Algerian heritage, has chosen to represent Algeria at the senior level. Romano, best known for his coverage of high-profile transfer news, shared the news on social media, confirming that Chiakha, who was born in Copenhagen, has begun the process to switch his sporting nationality to Algeria.
The 18-year-old centre forward, currently with FC Copenhagen, has shown impressive potential throughout his international youth career with Denmark.
Chiakha boasts a formidable scoring record: eight goals in nine appearances with the U17 team, two goals in eight games with the U18s, and three goals in five matches for the U19s, including recent strikes against Portugal and Belgium.
His prolific performance extends to his club’s U19 team as well, where he netted 28 goals in 34 matches last season, including seven goals in the UEFA Youth League.
Chiakha’s shift of allegiance comes at a time when the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) is actively pursuing dual-national players to strengthen its national team pool.
The FAF’s efforts have been focused on nurturing and integrating talent with Algerian heritage, a strategy that has been successful with recent call-ups, including 19-year-old Ibrahim Maza.
Chiakha’s commitment signals a promising addition for Algeria, which aims to build a competitive team by tapping into talented players from Europe’s elite leagues.
This new recruitment aligns with head coach Vladimir Petkovic’s ambition to cultivate a skilled and versatile squad.
Chiakha is expected to bring both energy and scoring finesse to the Fennecs, supplementing a roster that may soon include other dual-nationals like Elias Benkara, as well as more experienced players such as Carlo Boukhalfa and Mitchell Weiser.
The addition of Chiakha reflects FAF’s ongoing drive to attract talents eligible for Algeria, reinforcing the national team’s future prospects.
With Algeria set to compete in upcoming qualifiers, Chiakha’s decision to join the Fennecs further bolsters the squad, hinting at exciting developments on the horizon for Algerian football fans.
🇩🇿 FC Copenhagen talent Amin Chiakha has chosen to represent the Algerian National Team going on forward.
The talented striker has been representing Denmark at Youth level but he has now decided to change his status to play for Algeria.
Paperwork already in process. pic.twitter.com/NFL6cdIvfC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 27, 2024