Luka Zidane’s Algeria omission explained as ‘purely sporting’ decision

Luka Zidane was left out of Algeria’s squad for the November international break because manager Ibrahim Hamdani does not believe the Leganes goalkeeper is ready to reclaim a starting place, according to an Algerian report.

La Gazette du Fennec, citing a source it described as reliable, said Hamdani preferred not to put Zidane in a difficult position by selecting him while he remains short of his best form.

Hamdani has previously said his goalkeeping choices were based on match fitness and regular first-team football.

“I made my decision based on a sporting criterion,” he said. “This position has a particular importance, and I needed to choose three goalkeepers who had played as many minutes as possible. The three selected are the ones who have featured the most since the last camp, and that is the only reason they were preferred.”

The report said, however, that playing time was not the only factor involved. Zidane has played more minutes than both Oussama Benbot, who has featured for 720 minutes, and Ryan Yesli, who has also played 720 minutes and replaced Ramadhan in the squad.

According to the source, Hamdani believes Zidane has not yet fully recovered the level required to challenge for the starting position. The manager therefore opted to leave him with Leganes, particularly because the club had two fixtures scheduled during the international break.

Leganes played their first match on Monday evening against Trival Valderas in the Copa del Rey, winning 1-0. Zidane remained on the bench.

The Spanish side are due to play their second match three days later against Burgos in the 14th round of the Segunda Division.

Zidane lost his place in the Leganes starting XI three weeks ago and spent two matches among the substitutes. Although he returned to the line-up for the previous league fixture against Albacete, Leganes were beaten 3-1.

The goalkeeper had started nine consecutive matches before that change, but conceded 17 goals across 10 appearances and kept only three clean sheets. Those figures, the report said, did not give him a clear case for immediately regaining his place with Algeria.

Zidane also missed the previous national-team camp after receiving a two-match suspension from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The source rejected suggestions that factors outside football had influenced the decision. Speculation had linked the omission to Zidane’s father Zinedine Zidane, France manager, and his support for imprisoned French journalist Christophe Gleizes during his first news conference in charge of Les Bleus.

The Algerian outlet’s source, described as close to the matter, said that theory had no basis and insisted Luka Zidane’s exclusion was entirely a technical decision.

A return to the Algeria squad could prove difficult in the short term. Only the March international window remains before the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held from 19 June to 17 July, leaving Zidane limited time to win back his position.