Nabil Fekir Stalls on Algeria vs France Decision, Focuses on Lyon
The international future of Nabil Fekir remains unresolved. Between Algeria, his country of origin, and France, his country of birth and development, the Olympique Lyonnais playmaker is keeping everyone guessing.
Fekir has been turning heads with his strong performances this season for Lyon, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by national selectors. In particular, Christian Gourcuff, the new Algeria head coach, reportedly reached out in hopes of including the 21-year-old in the squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. But Fekir declined — for now.
“I’m focusing on my club, and I’ll make my decision in due course,” Fekir told Le Progrès. “It will be carefully considered with my advisor and my family. In any case, I won’t be going to the Africa Cup of Nations.”
He confirmed that Algeria did make contact:
“The Algerian federation called me once. I told them what I thought, and I’ll call them back once I’ve made my decision.”
This measured approach has only fueled speculation that Fekir may be leaning toward France, as his hesitations could signal hopes of earning a call-up from Didier Deschamps instead.
While Fekir remains non-committal, one thing is clear: Lyon remains his top priority, especially with key matches looming in January.
