The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) has just issued an official release announcing the technician’s inaugural press conference. On this occasion, Hemdani will reveal and justify his selections to the press. This meeting with the sports media will take place “this Thursday September 17 2026 at 15:00, in the ‘Mohamed Sellah’ conference room at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki”, specifies the statement from the federal governing body.
On this occasion, the national head coach will unveil the list of players called up for this training camp. This announcement is eagerly anticipated, especially since it will undoubtedly involve a certain reshuffle with a new manager and the departure of several senior figures, such as Riyad Mahrez and Aissa Mandi. Multiple fresh additions are already expected, such as the arrival of Bachir Belloumi among others.
As Brahim Hemdani’s first gathering approaches, a question is beginning to seriously emerge: who will occupy the left flank of the Algerian squad? The two primary specialists for the role, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Jaouen Hadjam, are indeed enduring a particularly complicated start to the season with their clubs. At Manchester City, Ait-Nouri has only featured for 15 minutes in official competition, during the victory against FC Porto in the Champions League, recording an assist in the process. He has yet to play in the Premier League after four matchdays. Enzo Maresca reportedly considers him more of an option at left wing rather than a genuine competitor at full-back.
The situation for Hadjam is hardly more reassuring. Arriving at Brighton in late August, the former Young Boys player was included in the matchday squad multiple times but still shows zero minutes in the Premier League. Prior to his transfer, he had nevertheless played 189 minutes across three Swiss league fixtures. The issue for Hemdani is genuine, especially as their respective teams are performing very well without them. Manchester City won its opening four league matches, while Brighton is coming off a resounding 5-0 victory at Coventry. Under these circumstances, it is difficult for their managers to disrupt a hierarchy that is yielding results. Just days ahead of the list, the left-back position could therefore turn into one of the first headaches for the new manager. Even CR Belouizdad full-back Naoufel Khacef is suspended at the start of this season and has not played yet. To cover for them, there is still Mehdi Dorval, forgotten since the World Cup, who transferred this summer to Italian Serie B side Catanzaro and has already played 5 matches and nearly 300 minutes. Finally, among players with prior international caps, there is Yacer Larouci, 25, back in France with Le Mans, though he has only started one match in Ligue 1.
Algeria officially has three fixtures scheduled for the upcoming gathering (September 21 – October 06). The national squad will start with two matches to kick off the AFCON 2027 qualifiers. The first will feature Zambia (September 26) while the second will be an away trip to Burundi 3 days later. Subsequently, the Greens will host Niger on the final day of the camp in a friendly match. During the 7-day gap between returning from Bujumbura and the clash against Niger, the Fennecs might fit in a 4th match as permitted by this FIFA window. Rumors mention a potential Egypt vs Algeria match away from home. This fixture does not align with the Pharaohs’ current schedule.
=====A surprise from Portugal?
Top assist provider in the Portuguese league, Nais Djouahra could represent one of the surprises in Brahim Hemdani’s initial list.
His name remains unknown to part of the Algerian public, but his start to the campaign is becoming hard to overlook. At 26, Nais Djouahra holds top spot in the Portuguese league assist standings with four setups in six matchdays wearing Arouca’s colors. The latest, delivered Sunday despite the defeat against Santa Clara, confirmed the excellent form of a winger who was already coming off a persuasive season, finishing with six goals and three assists across 34 league appearances. Is that enough to squeeze into Brahim Hemdani’s first list, which could shuffle several positions for the Greens?
Born in Bourgoin-Jallieu and trained for six years at Saint-Etienne, the Franco-Algerian never followed a linear trajectory. Long hindered by a frame deemed too light, he left ASSE in 2018 to join Real Sociedad, where he experienced La Liga after proving himself with the reserve team. Standing at 1.71 m, Djouahra displays the profile of a sharp, technical winger who is hard to handle in tight spaces. A right-footed player operating mainly on the left, he likes to challenge defenders, cut inside, and create openings through dribbling. He can nevertheless play on both wings, or even occupy a more central role. His versatility and the quality of his final ball could interest Hemdani, as the new manager seems ready to open up selection competition for his first camp, particularly if he wishes to possess players capable of unbalancing a low block. The difficulty obviously lies in the competition. On the left side, Mohamed Amoura, Ilan Kebbal, or Adil Boulbina hold an advantage. On the right, Anis Hadj Moussa and Mohamed Bachir Belloumi appear as the main contenders to succeed Riyad Mahrez.