Manchester City defender Rayan Ait-Nouri is a notable absentee from Algeria’s 26-man squad for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Togo, with coach Brahim Hemdani handing maiden senior invitations to Abderrahmane Rebbach and Mohamed Azzi.
Ait-Nouri’s omission comes after he was left out of the starting line-up against Zambia, with Hemdani opting for alternative defensive options ahead of the crucial November fixtures.
The left-back’s absence leaves Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jaouen Hadjam and experienced Borussia Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini as the principal options on the left side of North Africans’ defence.
Deportivo Alaves winger Rebbach has earned his first senior international invitation following his performances in Spain’s LaLiga as well as CSKA Moscow right-back Azzi.
The Desert Warriors’ squad also welcomes back several familiar faces, including Oussama Benbot, Yacine Titraoui, Fares Ghedjemis and Hicham Boudaoui.
Benbot returns to the international fold following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Frosinone winger Ghedjemis has been rewarded for his impressive club performances.
Also, coach Hemdani has retained several established internationals, including Nabil Bentaleb, Fares Chaibi, Ibrahim Maza, Mohamed Amine Amoura, Amine Gouiri and Anis Hadj Moussa.
Ait-Nouri is not the only high-profile absentee, with goalkeeper Luca Zidane and Ilan Kebbal also missing out, while Samir Chergui is unavailable for selection.
Explaining his goalkeeping choices, Hemdani insisted that regular playing time and current form influenced his decision.
“I needed to have a choice between three goalkeepers who had maximum playing time. All three selected have had maximum playing time since the last international break,” he said.
Algeria will host Togo at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou on November 14 before travelling to Lome for the reverse fixture at the Kegue Stadium three days later.
The Desert Foxes currently lead Group I with four points after defeating Zambia 3-1 and drawing 2-2 away to Burundi.
Togo sit just one point behind, making the upcoming double-header crucial to both nations’ ambitions of qualifying for the 2027 continental showpiece.
Full Algeria squad
Goalkeepers: Oussama Benbot (USM Alger), Melvin Mastil (FC Lausanne-Sport, Switzerland) and Abdelatif Ramdane (MC Alger).
Defenders: Achraf Abada (USM Alger), Mohamed Azzi (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Zineddine Belaïd (Al-Taawoun, Saudi Arabia), Rafik Belghali (Torino, Italy), Ramy Bensebaïni (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Jaouen Hadjam (Brighton & Hove Albion, England), Sohaïb Naïr (AS Saint-Étienne, France) and Ahmed Touba (Le Havre, France).
Midfielders: Himad Abdelli (Olympique Marseille, France), Nabil Bentaleb (Lille, France), Hicham Boudaoui (OGC Nice, France), Farès Chaïbi (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Abderrahmane Rebbach (Deportivo Alavés, Spain) and Yacine Titraoui (RC Lens, France).
Forwards: Mohamed Amine Amoura (OGC Nice, France), Monsef Bakrar (Al Ahly, Egypt), Mohamed Bachir Belloumi (Hull City, England), Adil Boulbina (Al-Diriyah, Saudi Arabia), Amin Chiakha (Rosenborg, Norway), Farès Ghedjemis (Frosinone, Italy), Amine Gouiri (Olympique Marseille, France) and Anis Hadj Moussa (Feyenoord, Netherlands).
