Amin Chiakha given chance to solve Algeria’s long-standing striker problem

Amine Gouiri’s injury has left Algeria head coach Brahim Hemdani with limited options in attack for Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Burundi.

Gouiri suffered a muscle injury during the 3-1 win over Zambia and was released from the squad after undergoing examinations. He will miss both the trip to Burundi and the friendly against Niger.

The absence of the 25-year-old raises an immediate question for Algeria: who should lead the line in Bujumbura? Gouiri is not a traditional number nine himself, but the alternatives available to Hemdani are even less clear.

Amin Chiakha appears to be the leading candidate. The Rosenborg forward came on after only 20 minutes against Zambia and, although he did not produce an outstanding individual performance, his movement and energy helped Algeria improve as the game progressed.

He was involved in the build-up to the second goal and could now be given his first competitive start through the middle for the national team.

At 20, Chiakha still lacks physical strength and experience. However, his return to the Algeria squad was prompted by the lack of effectiveness identified in the centre-forward position. Starting him against Burundi, on an artificial pitch and in the afternoon heat, would provide a significant test.

With Burundi considered an opponent Algeria should be capable of beating, the match could offer the right conditions to assess Chiakha from the beginning rather than using him as a substitute.

If Hemdani chooses not to start him, Monsef Bakrar is the more natural alternative. The former Dinamo Zagreb striker, now with Al-Ahly, was part of a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign and has yet to fully convince at international level.

Another possibility would be to move Mohamed Amoura into a central role. His pace could pose a major threat behind the Burundi defence, but a similar experiment, including against Sudan at the last Africa Cup of Nations, did not work particularly well. Amoura appears more comfortable starting from a flank or playing around a target forward.

The uncertainty reflects a problem that predates Gouiri’s injury. Since Islam Slimani retired and Baghdad Bounedjah was left out of the squad, no centre-forward has established himself as a convincing successor.

The domestic league has not yet produced an obvious short-term answer either. Aymen Mahious has already been given an opportunity without persuading, while the younger Mohamed El Amine Ramdaoui is not yet viewed as an immediate solution.

Algeria have several mobile and technically gifted forwards, but lack an undisputed number nine who can occupy central defenders and finish chances consistently.

There is still time before the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations for a solution to emerge. For Chiakha, however, Tuesday presents a rare opportunity to show he can become more than a supporting option. In Bujumbura, Hemdani will not simply be choosing Gouiri’s replacement for one match; he may also begin addressing a much older problem.