The Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki, Algiers, is unlikely to host Algeria’s national team in September.
Next September, Algeria will face Equatorial Guinea in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Nelson Mandela Stadium has been the home venue for the Algerian team for the past two years but is now unlikely to be chosen. The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) was reportedly displeased with how the team was treated by the public following their 1-2 defeat to Guinea on June 6 in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, where there were incidents of booing.
This situation has opened the door for the 5-July-1952 Stadium in western Algiers. However, there is a preference within the FAF to move matches outside of the capital. Following discussions after the recent gathering, there is growing support within the FAF to return to Blida, the former fortress that was abandoned after the tragic night of March 29, 2022, when Algeria lost in the World Cup playoff against Cameroon, missing out on Qatar 2022.
Algérie : les Fennecs loin d’Alger ? https://t.co/g0vLsRgR2s pic.twitter.com/yd133rOT95
— Afrik-Foot (@afrikfoot) June 18, 2024
However, the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida has not received approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) due to deficiencies noted during the last inspection, including inadequate international standard locker rooms requiring extensive renovation.
Now, the 19-May-1956 Stadium in Annaba and the Olympic Complex in Oran are being considered. According to Algerian media, Annaba is currently the frontrunner pending final decision by the coach, with confirmation expected in the coming weeks.
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