Ibrahim Hamdani is preparing to appoint a new captain for Algeria after the retirements of Riyad Mahrez and Aissa Mandi, with Rami Bensebaini and Nabil Bentaleb emerging as the two main candidates.
The Algeria coach is expected to settle the issue when the national team begins its September training camp on Monday, ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Zambia and Burundi and a friendly against Niger.
Algeria will open their qualifying campaign against Zambia at the Hussein Ait Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou on 25 September before travelling to Bujumbura to meet Burundi four days later.
Hamdani announced his squad for the September camp on Thursday, with 12 players who featured at the 2026 World Cup missing for different reasons. Those absences include retirements, suspensions and technical decisions.
The changes have also left Hamdani with the task of establishing a new order among the players who could wear the captain’s armband.
Bensebaini given edge over Bentaleb
A source told Winwin that Hamdani had considered the captaincy issue well before the start of the camp, having anticipated the need for a new leader following the decisions by Mahrez and Mandi to retire.
Mahrez had been Algeria’s first-choice captain, with Mandi next in line. Baghdad Bounedjah, Bensebaini and Ismael Bennacer were also among the players previously included in the leadership hierarchy.
Hamdani must now establish a new order, beginning with the Zambia match, and decide who will take responsibility for leading the side on the pitch.
According to the same source, the coach has largely settled on Bensebaini and Bentaleb as his two leading options.
Both players are among the most experienced members of the current squad and have spent a considerable period with the national team.
Bensebaini, however, is understood to have a slight advantage in the race to become the new captain.
The Borussia Dortmund defender is regarded by many observers as possessing strong leadership qualities, while his experience and performances at the highest level have also been cited in support of his potential appointment.
Bentaleb’s inclusion in the squad adds another dimension to the decision. The midfielder was selected despite calls from some members of the public for him to be left out following his performances at the 2026 World Cup and amid suggestions that Algeria should refresh its midfield.
Bensebaini to miss first day of camp
Bensebaini will not be present when the Algerian squad gathers for the opening day of the training camp because he is getting married.
The defender has received permission from Hamdani to miss the first day before joining his international team-mates.
It remains unclear whether his delayed arrival will have any influence on Hamdani’s decision over the captaincy.
The coach is expected to make his decision at the beginning of the camp as Algeria prepare for a demanding September schedule.
The first test will come against Zambia on 25 September, followed by the trip to Burundi on 29 September. The friendly against Niger will also form part of the team’s preparations during the international window.
With Mahrez and Mandi no longer available to lead the side, the captaincy will be one of the key decisions facing Hamdani as he begins his tenure with a reshaped Algeria squad.
