Algeria’s women’s national football team has assembled a 26-player squad for a training camp in Oran, as preparations intensify ahead of the 13th edition of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON), originally scheduled for 2024 but postponed to 2025.
The camp, which runs from 14 to 22 June, marks a crucial phase in Algeria’s build-up to the continental tournament, which will be held in Morocco from 5 to 26 July.
Head coach Farid Benstiti has called up a blend of domestic and international talent, with four players currently active in Algeria’s national championship and the rest plying their trade in France, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Desert Ladies, captained by Lina Boussaha of Saudi club Al-Nassr, are making their return to the African stage after missing the last two editions of the tournament.
Algeria secured their qualification with an emphatic performance against Burundi in December 2023, winning 5–1 in the first leg and 1–0 in the second, both played at the July 5 Olympic Stadium in Algiers.
Placed in Group B, Algeria will begin their campaign on Sunday 6 July against Botswana at 20:00 local time.
They will then face regional rivals Tunisia on Thursday 10 July, before wrapping up the group stage against perennial heavyweights Nigeria on Sunday 13 July.
This year’s AWCON will feature 12 nations, divided into three groups of four.
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed sides, will advance to the quarter-finals on 18 and 19 July.
The semi-finals will be played on 22 July, followed by the third-place playoff on 25 July and the final on 26 July.
The full squad selected by Benstiti includes:
Chloé N’Gazi (Olympique Marseille, France), Lamia Lounas (ASE Alger Centre), Haleyi (JS Kabylie), Léa Abadou (US Orléans, France), Sofia Guellati (EA Guingamp, France), Ouassila Allouache (CF Akbou), Iman Chebel (Longueuil CS, Canada), Melina D’oria (Le Mans FC, France), Morgane Belkhiter (AS Saint-Étienne, France), Roselène Khezami (Olympique Marseille, France), Ould Braham (FC Nantes, France), Ines Belloumou (Malmö FF, Sweden), Melissa Bethi (FC Nantes, France), Lina Boussaha (Al-Nassr, Saudi Arabia), Hana Lina Boubezari (Torenguppen FF, Sweden), Wissem Bouzid (Le Mans FC, France), Aicha Hamideche (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Ghoutia Habiba Kharchouni (FC Servette, Switzerland), Lina Khelif (Thonon Evian, France), Emma Smaali (RC Lens, France), Ines Boutaleb (FC Metz, France), Morgane Ikene (US Saint-Malo, France), Marine Dafeur (FC Fleury 91, France), Laura Taleb Muller (Thonon Evian, France), Naima Bouhani (Afak Relizane), and Nihed Naili (AS Cannes, France).
This training camp serves as Algeria’s final major tune-up before heading to Morocco, where they will be aiming to make a strong impression on their return to Africa’s premier women’s football tournament.
