Algerian internationals representing OGC Nice, Feyenoord Rotterdam and FC Copenhagen have learned their opponents for the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, as they prepare to battle for a place in the league phase of the 2025–2026 edition.
With none of their clubs securing direct qualification to the tournament’s revamped league stage, players including Hichem Boudaoui, Badreddine Bouanani, Billal Brahimi, Ramiz Zerrouki, Anis Hadj Moussa, and Amin Chiakha are now on the hunt for one of the seven remaining slots in Europe’s top club competition.
OGC Nice, unseeded in the third qualifying round draw, were handed a stern test against Portuguese giants Benfica.
Bouanani and his teammates will host the first leg at Allianz Riviera on either August 5 or 6, before travelling to Estádio da Luz for the return on August 12.
Despite a few recent setbacks, Benfica remain a seasoned and formidable force in European football.
The Lisbon club finished second in Portugal’s Primeira Liga last season with 80 points, narrowly behind Sporting CP.
They also fell short in the Portuguese Cup final against their city rivals and exited the last 16 of the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona.
Their recent Club World Cup campaign ended in extra-time defeat to Chelsea — a match that marked Angel Di Maria’s final appearance before his return to Argentina.
Should Nice prevail over Benfica, they would still need to navigate the play-off round to secure a place in the Champions League league phase.
If eliminated in either stage, they would automatically be redirected to the Europa League group stage under UEFA’s current regulations.
Meanwhile, Amin Chiakha and FC Copenhagen must first overcome Kosovo’s KF Drita in the second qualifying round.
Success there would set up a third-round encounter against either Latvia’s FC RFS or Sweden’s Malmö FF, with the Danish champions aiming to return to the competition proper via the Champions Path.
Feyenoord’s Algerian duo Ramiz Zerrouki and Anis Hadj Moussa face a similarly daunting task.
Their side will take on José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, also in the third qualifying round.
The tie begins in Rotterdam at De Kuip, before shifting to Istanbul’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium for the decisive second leg.
Five Algerians are already assured of Champions League action next season through direct qualification — Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City), Ramy Bensebaïni (Borussia Dortmund), Amine Gouiri (Marseille), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen), and Farès Chaïbi (Eintracht Frankfurt).
But for the rest, the journey through qualification is a challenging gauntlet where every performance could shape their European destiny.
