Rayan Aït-Nouri’s father has confirmed that the Manchester City defender was involved in a long-standing dispute with former Algeria international Anthar Yahia, shedding new light on the circumstances surrounding the player’s unexpected departure from the national team camp.
The controversy became public on September 25 when Aït-Nouri was an unused substitute during Algeria’s 3-1 victory over Zambia.
According to reports, the defender became frustrated after being sent to warm up before plans changed, with tensions subsequently escalating around the technical team and general manager Moussa Saïb.
The Algerian Football Federation announced the following day that Aït-Nouri had been excluded from the squad.
However, reports indicate that the disagreement had begun several weeks earlier and involved Yahia, who is part of Algeria’s technical structure.
According to El Khabar journalist Rafik Ouahid, who said he had spoken directly to Aït-Nouri’s father, Farouk, the initial incident dates back to August 22.
Yahia reportedly attempted to contact the Manchester City defender but, after receiving no response, spoke to his father instead.
The report claims Yahia raised concerns over Aït-Nouri’s limited playing time at Manchester City and suggested it could affect his place in the Algeria squad.
Farouk is understood to have responded that the issue should be discussed directly with his son.
Aït-Nouri’s father has since confirmed that he spoke with Ouahid but urged that the matter should not escalate.
“I do not want this matter to become too big. We are Algerians and we love Algeria like anyone else,” he said.
Farouk also said he believed his son had been “unjustly treated”.
Conflicting accounts over Aït-Nouri’s departure
There are differing accounts of how Aït-Nouri eventually left the Algeria camp.
Winwin reported that the player requested to leave, while the coaching staff had initially hoped to resolve the dispute.
Meanwhile, journalist Samir Kaabouche reported that coach Brahim Hemdani and Yahia were waiting for an official apology from the defender before considering his return to the national team.
Aït-Nouri has yet to publicly give his full account of the incident.
Several Algerian reports indicate that the defender could address the controversy after Algeria’s friendly against Niger on October 6.
Such a statement could provide further clarity following the conflicting reports surrounding his departure.
The 25-year-old has earned 28 caps for Algeria and remains part of the national team’s current generation, meaning the circumstances surrounding his exit could have implications for his future with the Fennecs.
For now, several details of the dispute remain disputed, with the accounts from the player’s camp and other reports yet to be fully reconciled.
