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Between promising generation and assumed choices
Petkovic reveals his list
During his press conference held this Thursday at the Nelson-Mandela stadium in Baraki, national coach Vladimir Petkovic did not wait for questions to show color: “The objective is clear, to win the two friendly matches in Jeddah against Zimbabwe (November 13) and Saudi Arabia (November 18). These meetings are essential to refine our plans before CAN-2025.
A few weeks before the African Cup of Nations, the Swiss technician unveiled a list of 27 Fennecs combining youth and experience. Two new faces appear, while several executives temporarily give up their place.
Elias Benkara, a bet for the future from Dortmund
It was expected: Elias Benkara, young central defender of Borussia Dortmund, appears well on the list. Born in Germany in 2006, this 1m93 colossus chose to wear the colors of Algeria after playing with the German youth teams.
Aged only 18, he embodies the new binational generation seduced by the Fennecs project. Trained in Dortmund, Benkara distinguished himself by his tactical maturity and his quality of recovery. Seen several times on the bench of the first team, notably in the Champions League against FC Barcelona, he represents a bet on the future to solidify a defense often singled out.
Yacine Titraoui, the reward for an expected talent
Another welcomed novelty: Yacine Titraoui, SC Charleroi midfielder. Trained at Paradou AC, he established himself this season as the playing master of the Belgian club, succeeding his compatriot Adem Zagence, from whom he even inherited the captain’s armband. His regular performances and his vision of the game have won over supporters, who have been calling for his integration into the national team for several months. Petkovic justifies this choice: “I want to give them the opportunity to discover the selection. The competition is strong, but Titraoui has real potential.
Notable returns: Bennacer and Bounedjah back
Among the good news, Ismaël Bennacer is making his return after several months of absence. In renewed form at Dinamo Zagreb, he returned to the selection with the ambition of once again becoming a pillar of the community. His teammate in Croatia, Monsef Bakrar, is also on the list after an excellent start to the season (9 goals). Baghdad Bounedjah, injured during the last rally, also comes back strong from his performances with Al-Shamal (4 goals and 4 assists in 8 matches). Also returning are Ramiz Zerrouki and Rayan Aït Nouri, who missed out in October.
Belaïli and Bentaleb among the notable absentees
Conversely, several executives are not included in the group. Youcef Belaïli, Nabil Bentaleb, Yassine Benzia, Saïd Benrahma and Amine Gouiri (injured) are missing. No return either for Youcef Atal, who has only just returned to competition, nor for Himad Abdelli, in the resumption phase with Angers. “Six players are absent compared to the month of October, but there is no definitive sidelining,” said Petkovic. “The summons reflect a vision of the future. Football goes fast, you have to adapt.”
Zidane in goals, Mahrez and Amoura still there
In the cages, Lucas Zidane makes his return, accompanied by Oussama Benbot and Alexis Guendouz. The choice of the holder still remains open. For the rest, executives Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Amoura and Aïssa Mandi will be there for these two final tests before the CAN.
Petkovic assumes and draws his line
Lucid about the need to renew his group, Petkovic fully accepts his choices: “Each player thinks he is better than the other, but it is me who makes the final choices. Everything that has happened so far is not a point of arrival, but a point of departure. The coach is banking on the freshness and motivation of his young players while maintaining confidence in his executives. Aware of the busy schedule, he concludes with optimism: “We will have ten days before the first CAN match to improve the physical condition of our players. The important thing is to be ready at the right time.”
In summary, this list of 27 players illustrates Vladimir Petkovic’s desire to rebalance his squad, test new solutions and calmly prepare for the future. The two meetings in Jeddah will serve as a revelation before the great African adventure.
Summary of H. Hichem
List of players:
Goalkeepers: Lucas Zidane (FC Granada/Spain), Alexis Guendouz (MC Algiers), Oussama Benbot (USM Algiers)
Defenders: Ramy Bensebaïni (Borussia Dortmund/ Germany), Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City/ England), Samir Chergui (FC Paris/ France), Rafik Belghali (Hellas Verona/ Italy), Aïssa Mandi (Lille OSC/ France), Jaouen Hadjam (BSC Young Boys/ Switzerland), Mehdi Dorval (SSC Bari/ Italy), Elias Benkara (Borussia Dortmund/ Germany), Zinédine Belaïd (JS Kabylie), Mohamed Amine Tougaï (ES Tunis/Tunisia)
Midfielders: Ismaël Bennacer (Dinamo Zagreb/ Croatia), Yacine Titraoui (SC Charleroi/ Belgium), Ramiz Zerrouki (Twente FC/ Netherlands), Hicham Boudaoui (OGC Nice/ France), Adam Zagence (Union Saint-Gilloise/ Belgium), Ilan Kebbal (Paris FC/ France), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen / Germany), Farés Chaïbi (Eintracht Frankfurt/ Germany), Houssem Aouar (Al-Ittihad Jeddah/ Saudi Arabia)
Forwards: Mohamed Amine Amoura (VfL Wolfsburg/ Germany), Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli SC/ Saudi Arabia), Anis Hadj Moussa (Feyenoord/ Netherlands), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al-Shamal SC/ Qatar), Moncef Bakrar (Dinamo Zagreb/ Croatia).