Vladimir Petkovic, the head coach of Algeria’s national football team, is nearing the announcement of the player roster for the upcoming training camp in June.
The camp will include two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup: the first against Guinea in Algiers at Nelson Mandela Stadium, and the second against Uganda in Kampala. Some veterans, including Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani who were absent at the last gathering, might make a return.
According to a source from the Algerian Football Federation, Petkovic has compiled an expanded list of professional players active in Europe and locally, which he will narrow down to 23 or 25 players for the camp. Riyad Mahrez, who missed the last gathering due to form issues, is on this list. Petkovic also plans to discuss Mahrez’s future involvement following rumors of his international retirement.
Islam Slimani is expected to be included, as Petkovic sees his experience as valuable. The coach is concerned about defensive options, which were weak in previous friendly matches. Young players, such as Bounacer from USM Alger, are under close observation.
Petkovic will travel to Europe to assess the professional players before finalizing the list for the camp. These efforts follow his recent visit to Algeria, where he attended various training sessions and met with coaches to scout new talent.
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