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After having validated its qualification for the 2026 World Cup, the Algerian national team is now turning its sights towards the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. For this last training course before the competition, Vladimir Petkovic and the Algerian Football Federation opted for preparation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Fennecs will play two friendly matches against Zimbabwe (November 13) and Saudi Arabia (November 18), two opponents with very different profiles but ideal for testing the Bosnian coach’s schemes before the big continental meeting.
Cascade of injuries complicates Petkovic’s plans
However, the preparation does not start under the best auspices. Ramy Bensebaïni, victim of lower back pain, was excused from the training in order to receive full treatment, while Farès Chaïbi had to withdraw following a muscle injury contracted with Eintracht Frankfurt. These absences add to other uncertainties which disrupt the stability of the group. Petkovic, already forced to review his plans, will have to deal with a reshuffled squad for these last two tests. To compensate for these absences, the coach summoned new faces, including the binational Benkara and Yacine Titraoui, the former Paradou AC midfielder now in Charleroi. A decision hailed for its audacity, symbol of a breath of fresh air within a team in search of balance.
This November training course will serve as a real dress rehearsal before the CAN, where the Greens will successively face Sudan, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea. Petkovic wants to see a hungry and disciplined team, capable of transforming hard knocks into a collective engine before the big continental challenge. The attacking midfielder from Eintracht Frankfurt, author of a solid start to the season in the Bundesliga, suffers from a muscle injury in his thigh contracted during the last championship match played on Saturday with his club. According to the FAF press release, the examinations carried out revealed an injury requiring several days of rest, which made his participation impossible for this gathering.
This package comes at a time when coach Vladimir Petkovic was counting on Chaïbi to bring his creativity and allow him to accumulate playing time in the Greens jersey before the African Cup in particular. A hard blow therefore for the technical staff, who lost two usual starters from their eleven in a few hours.
As a reminder, Ramy Bensebaini, injured in the back, was also excused from the training course, in agreement with his club Borussia Dortmund and the selection’s medical staff. The FAF has not specified whether Fares Chaïbi will be replaced in the group, but several options are already available to the coach, in particular with the presence of several attacking midfielders capable of playing in his register.
Tougai leaves the training course, 3rd package for the Greens!
Clearly, the bad news keeps coming for the national team. This Monday, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) announced the withdrawal of central defender Mohamed Amine Tougaï for the Greens’ next two friendly matches against Zimbabwe (November 13) and Saudi Arabia (November 18).
The Esperance de Tunis player, victim of an injury, was forced to leave the national team training camp after an examination carried out by the medical staff. “After his assessment, it appeared that the player is not fit to play the two matches,” specifies the FAF in its press release. In consultation with coach Vladimir Petkovic, the decision was therefore taken to release the defender in order to avoid any aggravation and allow him to continue his treatment within his club.
Algeria strengthens Petkovic’s staff one month before the CAN
A new goalkeeper coach joins the Greens staff. One month before the CAN, Algeria welcomes a new assistant to Petkovic’s staff. Goalkeeper coach, Guido Nanni, officially arrives with the Greens. A new era for the goalkeepers of the Algerian team. Guido Nanni is now part of the technical staff of the Algerian team. And it was the Italian goalkeeper coach who made the news official himself on Instagram, by sharing several stories where he appears dressed in the national jersey, and indicating, in his bio, his new link with Algeria. A clear sign, even if the FAF has not yet said anything on this subject, that its collaboration with the Greens is well and truly launched. Enough to mark a new stage for the Algerian team under the leadership of Vladimir Petković.
After this summer’s disappointing performances against Sweden and then the draw against Guinea, a vast staff reshuffle was mentioned and the position of goalkeeper coach was more particularly targeted, the duo Merouane Mssais, Nacereddine Berrama being much criticized. It is therefore the former Cagliari player in Serie A, Guido Nanni, 57, who joins a staff that is more Italian-speaking than ever, with Davide Morandi and Paolo Rongoni, respectively 2nd assistant to Petkovic and physical trainer.
The arrival of technician Guido Nanni, renowned for his rigor and advanced methodology, confirms the coach’s desire to rely on experienced profiles capable of bringing international expertise to the service of the Algerian project. It comes at a key moment in the Greens cycle. Indeed, a few weeks before the start of preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and less than a year before the World Cup, the presence of a specialist of this caliber, who has worked for Roma, Lazio and Al-Nassr, offers the selection valuable expertise. Recognized for her teaching and her proximity to the players, Nanni should play a crucial role in the progress of the Algerian goalkeepers, both technically and mentally.
FIRST TRAINING FOR THE GREEN IN JEDDAH
The national team carried out its first training session this Monday evening in Jeddah, in anticipation of the friendly match against Zimbabwe, scheduled for this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. (Algerian time). The session, which started at 9 p.m. on the annex ground of the King Abdallah stadium, was relatively light. The players who played with their clubs on Sunday benefited from a specific recovery program, while the rest of the group took part in technical work with the ball. Note that the squad was not yet complete, with some players expected in Jeddah in the evening. The group should be in full force during this Tuesday’s session.