Bounedjah and Benrahma out of the Algeria squad for the fateful match against Cameroon
Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi announced today, Saturday, the squad that will face Cameroon twice this month in the play-off round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and witnessed many surprises, most notably the absence of striker Baghdad Bounedjah and wingers Said Benrahma and Adam Ounass.
Bounedjah, the top scorer for Al-Sadd, was a key choice in the Algerian national team for a long time, but his level has declined in the recent period.
Bounedjah scored 15 goals with Al Sadd in 19 matches in all competitions this season.
Benrahma also played 37 games for West Ham United in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing six assists.
Belmadi re-included the quartet, Ishak Belfodil, Adlan Guidoura, Rachid Ghazal and Hicham Boudaoui, after they were absent from the African Nations Cup in Cameroon.
The two new faces summoned Youssef Laoufi, the Tunisian Etoile Sahel defender, and Mohamed Ben Yatto, the Qatari striker for Al Wakrah.
Algeria will be a guest of Cameroon on March 25, then host the second meeting four days later.
The winner qualifies for the World Cup finals in Qatar.
Belmadi's team will go to camp in Equatorial Guinea before traveling to Douala to face Cameroon.
The lineup was as follows:
Goalkeepers: Rais Mbolhi (Saudi Ettifaq), Alexandre Okija (French Metz), Mustafa Zaghba (Saudi Damk).
Defenders: Issa Mandy (Real Betis, Spain), Abdelkader Badran (Esperance of Tunisia), Mahdi Taherat (Abha, Saudi Arabia), Jamal Belamri (Qatar, Qatar), Ahmed Touba (Valvik, Netherlands), Youssef Attal (Nice, France), Hussein Ben Ayada and Youssef Laouafi (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia). Ramy Ben Sabaini (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany)
Midfielders: Ramez Zerrougui (Twente Enschede, Netherlands), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice, France), Sofiane Bendabkeh (Al-Fath of Saudi Arabia), Adlan Guedioura (Burton Albion, England), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray, Turkey), Ismail Bennacer (AC Milan, Italy).
Forwards: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, England), Rachid Ghazal (Besiktas, Turkey), Youssef Belaili (Brest, France), Mohamed Ben Yatto (Al Wakrah, Qatar), Ishaq Belfodil (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Islam Slimani (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal).
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