Brahim Hemdani is expected to make further changes when Algeria face Niger in a friendly in Tizi Ouzou on Monday, with several players given the opportunity to impress after limited involvement so far.
The match will offer Algeria’s new manager a chance to continue assessing his squad without the pressure of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Hemdani’s third game in charge is likely to focus on expanding his options and giving valuable playing time to players who have remained on the fringes.
Hemdani has collected four points from his first two matches and has yet to taste defeat. His opening game brought a convincing 3-1 win over Zambia, but Algeria produced a less impressive performance four days later in Burundi. The Fennecs nevertheless showed character by recovering from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw.
The early performances have not been without criticism. Former defender Djamel Benlamria, now a consultant for beIN Sports, highlighted Algeria’s defensive lapses, a lack of balance in midfield and some of the new manager’s decisions.
The meeting with Niger gives Hemdani the opportunity to respond through further experimentation, with four players among those who could benefit most.
According to Algerian newspaper Annasr, Sohaib Nair, Zineddine Belaid, Abdelatif Ramdane and Adil Bourabaa are among the leading candidates for more playing time. Further changes to the starting line-up have not been ruled out.
Nair and Belaid were unused substitutes in the draw with Burundi. Their involvement would allow Hemdani to rest some of his regular defenders while also assessing different combinations at the back.
There could also be a change in goal. Abdelatif Ramdane was called up alongside Melvin Mastil and young goalkeeper Kilian Belazzoug, partly because Luca Zidane is suspended. Mastil has started Algeria’s matches so far, but the MC Alger goalkeeper may now be given his opportunity.
The biggest interest, however, could surround Adil Bourabaa. The 21-year-old midfielder was initially selected for the Algeria Under-23 squad before joining the senior team as a replacement for the injured Nabil Bentaleb.
Bourabaa has made an encouraging start to the season with Le Mans, scoring 3 goals and providing 2 assists. The friendly against Niger could give him his first minutes for the Fennecs.
Having had to deal with the demands of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign at the start of his tenure, Hemdani now has a chance to use the Niger fixture as a testing ground. The result will still matter, but the main objective will be to assess more players and broaden the solutions available to the new Algeria manager.
