Algeria head coach Ibrahim Hamadi has excluded left-back Rayan Ait Nouri from the current national team camp. The decision was made on Saturday following a disagreement between the player and the technical staff during Algeria's recent 3-1 win over Zambia in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
The Algerian Football Federation announced the decision in an official statement. The federation said: "The national coach, Ibrahim Hamadi, decided on Saturday to exclude player Rayan Ait Nouri from the ongoing national team gathering." The statement added: "The Algerian international will return to his club Manchester City."
This exclusion comes at a critical time for the team, which sits third in World Cup qualifying with four points from three games. The squad is preparing to face Burundi away on September 29th in the next qualifying round.
Ait Nouri, who recently joined Manchester City, featured in the 3-1 victory over Zambia. The player is considered a key element in Algeria's setup, but the dispute with the technical staff has cut short his involvement in this international break.
Ait Nouri leaves the camp to return to training with his English club, while the Algerian national team continues preparations for the key match against Burundi. The team's upcoming schedule can be viewed on the fixtures page, and the World Cup qualifying group standings are available on the standings page.
Algeria has scored five goals and conceded seven in its last five matches, recording two wins, one draw, and two defeats. The team's last home result was a 3-3 draw with Austria on June 28th.
This story first appeared at اليوم السابع
Ibrahim Hamdani denied any disagreement with Rayan Aït-Nouri. The Algeria manager said on Sunday there was no problem with the defender who did not play against Zambia. Hamdani explained that tests would determine the fate of Amin Gouiri after his injury. This comes ahead of the match against Burundi on September 29 in World Cup qualifying, where the team sits third with four points.
Jouan Hejjam scored Algeria's opening goal in the 2nd minute against Zambia, according to official data. Ibrahim Maza netted the second goal in the 67th minute. Anis Hadj Moussa then added the third in the 74th. The team collected its first three points in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers to top Group Nine.
Algeria's technical staff confirmed the exclusion was due to Rayan Aït-Nouri refusing to follow warm-up instructions. The technical staff said the player, who was on the bench, ignored their requests after a decision to bring him on changed. This followed a verbal altercation during the 3-1 win over Zambia. This comes as the team's recent form across the last five matches stands at two wins, one draw, and two losses.
