Internal sources have revealed unexpected developments regarding Riyad Mahrez’s return to the Algerian national team for the June camp. The Algerian team will face Guinea and Uganda in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The Al Ahli Saudi player had requested to be exempted from the friendly matches against Bolivia (3-2) and South Africa (2-2) last March when Vladimir Petkovic took over the reins of the national team after Djamel Belmadi’s departure. This came in the wake of the team’s disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where the Fennecs were eliminated in the group stage for the second consecutive time.
It’s now uncertain whether Mahrez will join the group for the June camp, contrary to recent expectations. The new coach, Petkovic, has several options to cope with Mahrez’s absence in the starting eleven.
Despite Adam Ounas’ unavailability due to issues with his club, LOSC, Petkovic can rely on players such as Farès Chaibi from Eintracht Frankfurt or Mohamed Bachir Belloumi, who has excelled with his club in Portugal. He can also count on Anis Haj Moussa, recently recruited by Feyenoord in the Netherlands, or Yassine Benzia, a player for Qarabag in Azerbaijan, who impressed in the matches against Bolivia and South Africa.
Although Mahrez has expressed his desire to return to the Algerian national team, he may encounter Petkovic’s willingness not to favor a specific player in the team. In the coming hours, Petkovic is expected to return to Algeria after a few days of rest with his family abroad. He will hold meetings with his assistants to assess all available players and prepare the list for the June camp.
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