Ramy Bensebaini: Algeria dismiss ‘pure lie’ over alleged Brahim Hemdani row

A report claiming Ramy Bensebaini had fallen out with Algeria manager Brahim Hemdani has been rejected by sources close to the national team.

The rumour emerged on Wednesday and suggested the Borussia Dortmund defender had been involved in an altercation with Hemdani, prompting him to leave the squad early less than a week before Algeria’s friendly against Niger in Tizi Ouzou on 6 October.

The claims came after Rayan Ait-Nouri was sent home from the previous camp on Saturday, fuelling speculation that Hemdani had taken a particularly strict approach with his players.

However, an internal source within the Algeria set-up told La Gazette du Fennec: “A pure lie.”

The same source said the mood inside the squad was “serene”, rejecting any suggestion of tension between Bensebaini and the manager.

The report was also dismissed by winwin, which said there had been no issue between the defender and Hemdani and no act of rebellion by the player.

Bensebaini, 31, remains with the squad and is training normally ahead of the match against Niger. The Borussia Dortmund player has made three appearances this season.

A photograph shared on Instagram Stories by Ibrahim Maza also appeared to confirm his continued involvement with the group. The image showed Bensebaini in the gym alongside Anis Hadj Moussa and the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder.

Bensebaini was named captain following Riyad Mahrez’s international retirement. He played the full 90 minutes in both of Algeria’s recent 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches.

The defender started in the 3-1 home victory over Zambia on 25 September and also completed Tuesday’s 2-2 draw against Burundi.

Algeria currently lead Group I, ahead of Zambia, Togo and Burundi.