The decision by coach Vahid Halilhodzic to exclude Ryad Boudebouz from the Algeria national football team for the third day of the Africa zone qualifiers for the World Cup stirred controversy in the country. The Fennecs were set to play against Benin’s national team, the Squirrels, on that particular Tuesday.
Halilhodzic addressed the decision to omit Boudebouz, citing disciplinary issues as a primary reason. According to the coach, a hookah was found in the room shared by Boudebouz and another player, Bouazza, during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in South Africa. Halilhodzic expressed disappointment, noting that this was not the first time such an incident had occurred with Boudebouz.
In addition to the disciplinary concerns, the coach mentioned performance-related reasons for leaving Boudebouz out of the squad. According to Halilhodzic, Boudebouz had started in the three most significant matches since the coach took charge, facing Mali, Bosnia, and Ivory Coast. However, Boudebouz’s performance in these matches was deemed unsatisfactory.
Following his exclusion, Boudebouz spoke out, expressing certainty about the reasons behind his sidelining.
The Fennecs were scheduled to face Benin on that Tuesday as part of the qualifiers for the third day of the second round of the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The controversy surrounding Boudebouz’s omission added an additional layer of intrigue to the team dynamics and selection choices for the crucial match.
