lgeria has named a 26-man squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and Liberia, scheduled for September 5 and 10 in Oran and Monrovia. Head coach Vladimir Petkovic revealed the lineup on Thursday, which features the return of star winger Riyad Mahrez and former international goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja, alongside three new faces.
Mahrez, recently reunited with Petkovic, is set to rejoin the national team, bringing his experience and skill back to the Fennecs.
Oukidja, who had retired from international duty, also makes a comeback, adding depth to the goalkeeping department.
Among the newcomers is Mohamed Farsi, a 24-year-old right-back from the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Farsi, who previously played for Canada’s U23 team and in futsal, has opted to represent Algeria at the senior level.
The squad also includes goalkeeper Alexis Guendouz, 28, who plays for Persepolis in Iran and is a former Saint-Etienne player.
Additionally, 33-year-old attacking midfielder Amir Sayoud, currently with Al-Raed FC in Saudi Arabia, has earned his first call-up to the senior national team after previously being named to the A’ squad.
Several seasoned players are missing from the lineup due to various reasons. Nabil Bentaleb, with 53 caps, and Yacine Brahimi, who has 69 caps, are both unavailable.
Also absent are Islam Slimani, currently without a club, Youcef Belaïli, sidelined by injury, and Farès Chaïbi.
However, winger Mohamed Amoura, who was previously doubtful, is included, as is Youcef Atal, despite also being without a club.
There is also a return for left-back Naoufel Khacef, who reappears in the squad after a three-year absence.
Meanwhile, regulars like Baghdad Bounedjah, Houssem Aouar, Amine Gouiri, Yassine Benzia, Ismaël Bennacer, and Aïssa Mandi are all present, providing a strong core for the Algerian side.
Algeria will look to these players to secure victories against Equatorial Guinea, who reached the last 16 in the most recent AFCON, and Liberia, who showed their potential with a 2-2 draw against South Africa in March 2023 during the AFCON 2023 qualifiers.
The Fennecs are determined to make their mark in the qualifiers and build momentum for the upcoming tournament.
قائمة المنتخب الوطني لمبارتي غينيا الاستوائية و ليبيريا، ضمن تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.#LesVerts⭐⭐ | #123vivalAlgérie🇩🇿 pic.twitter.com/n6g2T6n9oI
— Équipe d’Algérie de football (@LesVerts) August 29, 2024
