Yacine Adli is reportedly not part of Brahim Hemdani’s extended Algeria squad for the next international break, despite conflicting reports that the midfielder has been included in the provisional selection.
Algeria are due to face Togo on 14 and 17 November in their third and fourth qualifying matches for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
El Heddaf TV previously reported that Hemdani, the Algeria manager, had preselected the 26-year-old midfielder for the two fixtures. That claim caused considerable discontent among some Algerian observers because of Adli’s previous decision to represent France.
Adli had explained that choice by saying he wanted to “play at the highest level”. Despite subsequently apologising, he has remained an unwelcome figure among sections of Algerian football supporters.
However, insider Samir Kaabouche has offered a different account of the situation. According to Kaabouche, Adli is neither part of Hemdani’s plans nor included in the extended list for the forthcoming matches.
The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has reportedly made no contact with the Al-Shabab midfielder and has not started any process to change his sporting nationality. The federation is said to have kept the door closed despite Adli’s apologies.
The uncertainty has been compounded by comments from journalist Khaled Mazouzi, who supports the original report from El Heddaf TV. Mazouzi says Adli was included in the 55-player extended list after completing his change of sporting nationality.
Even under that account, however, Adli’s chances of joining the Algeria squad in November would be considered almost non-existent. His inclusion could therefore indicate that he may be considered for a later international break.
The conflicting reports have led to speculation that the extended selection may have been used by the FAF and the technical staff to test the reaction to a possible call-up.
One possibility is that Hemdani did initially include the former Fiorentina player before reversing that decision after the hostility it generated. There has been no definitive confirmation of which version of events is accurate.
