Algeria have released Anis Hadj Moussa and Adem Zorgane from their squad because of injury, leaving new manager Brahim Hemdani with only 22 of his original 26 players for Tuesday’s friendly against Niger.
The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) confirmed the two departures on Friday, adding to a difficult first international gathering for Hemdani. Both players will miss the final match of Algeria’s current FIFA window.
Hadj Moussa sustained what the FAF described as a “minor injury” during Algeria’s 3-1 victory over Zambia in the opening round of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The winger came off the bench and scored in that match, but was then unavailable for Tuesday’s 2-2 draw away to Burundi.
Zorgane was injured against Burundi. The midfielder came on shortly before half-time after Himad Abdelli was forced off, but will now be unable to take part in the next meeting of the national team.
The pair join an already sizeable list of absentees. Nabil Bentaleb withdrew shortly after Hemdani’s squad was announced and was the only player to be replaced. Amine Gouiri suffered an injury during the Zambia match, while Rayan Ait-Nouri was removed from the group for disciplinary reasons.
Abdelli’s condition remains unclear. He was seen using crutches after the Burundi match, although he has so far stayed with the squad.
Hemdani must therefore prepare for the Niger match with a much smaller group and fewer options than initially planned. The game is scheduled for Tuesday 6 October in Tizi Ouzou and will bring Algeria’s international commitments during this window to a close.
The Fennecs will be looking to respond after a less convincing display in Burundi, where they fell 2-0 behind before recovering to draw. Their next opponents, Niger, are known as the Mena.
The Algeria side is also without several experienced players for this gathering. Aissa Mandi and Riyad Mahrez have retired from international football, while Luca Zidane and Rafik Belghali were not selected because they are suspended.
As a result, Hemdani is expected to name a heavily reshaped team for his second match in charge. The absence of Hadj Moussa and Zorgane further limits the new manager’s choices as he seeks to end Algeria’s latest international assignment with a stronger performance.
