Algeria's U-23 team is preparing for two friendly matches against South Africa during the current international break. This forms part of the team's preparations for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifiers, which lead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The Talents in Focus

Kylian Budash, the 20-year-old winger regarded as one of Olympique Lyon's most promising talents, is among the candidates. Budash has played nine matches across all competitions this season and previously featured for Lille and Nice. His market value is listed at five million euros.

The second player is Mokrane Ben Tumi, a 20-year-old playmaker. Ben Tumi showed promise with his former club Le Havre, earning a transfer to Roda in the last window. He has made 101 career appearances, contributing to 27 goals, and recently opted to represent Algeria at U-23 level after previously playing for French youth teams.

Defence and Attack

The third talent is Anis Ouznaqi, the 19-year-old left-back who has impressed with Troyes in the current Ligue 1 season. Ouznaqi provided an assist against Strasbourg on matchday three and has one cap for France's U-19 side from a friendly against Poland.

The fourth player is Wissam Ben Said, a 20-year-old winger who recently joined FC Futura of Anderlecht from Chateauroux. Ben Said has played five matches in the second division for Anderlecht, scoring one goal on the final matchday against Fran Boran. He has 16 appearances and one goal for various French youth national teams.

Senior Team Context

This development comes as Algeria's senior side sits third in World Cup qualifying with four points from three games. The team has scored five goals and conceded seven, and will next face Zambia at home on 25 September. Fans can check the upcoming fixtures and view the full squad on our dedicated pages.

Recent results for the senior team have been mixed, with a 2-0 loss to Switzerland on 3 July, a 3-3 draw with Austria on 28 June, and a 2-1 win over Jordan on 23 June. Yassine Titraoui and Farès Chaïbi are currently sidelined due to injury.

This story first appeared at العين الإخبارية