Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi has dropped Leicester City midfielder Rachid Ghezzal and Schalke 04 midfielder Nabil Bentaleb from the squad that will travel to Togo for Sunday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier.
Former Tottenham midfieler Bentaleb will miss out for the first time in these qualifiers, while Ghezzal has been present in three of Algeria’s four matches.
Hoffenheim forward Ishak Belfodil and Nottingham Forests’ Adlene Guedioura have also been left out from the squad that succumbed to a massive shocker by Benin and delayed Algeria’s qualification for Afcon.
Guedioura has been ever-present in this qualifying campaign but has been overlooked this time around, as Belfodil was included thrice before.
Tied on seven points with Benin but on top of Group D due to a superior goal difference, a win will see the Desert Foxes book a Cameroon 2019 ticket with one game to spare.
Regular faces however, appear in the squad that will face a wounded Togo, who are facing the possibility of failing to qualify for the Afcon finals.
It is therefore a must-win for Togo, presenting a potentially tough afternoon for Algeria who have familiar faces like Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, FC Porto midfielder Yacine Brahimi, Fenerbahce forward Islam Slimani and goalkeeper Rais M’bolhi.
Algeria squad; Goalkeepers: Raïs M’bolhi (Al-Ettifaq, Saudi Arabia), Azzedine Doukha (Al-Raed, Saudi Arabia), Mustapha Zeghba (ES Sétif), Alexandre Oukidja (Metz, France).
Defenders: Ilyes Hsaaani (Cherno More Vama, Bulgaria), Rafik Halliche (Moreirense, Portugal), Mehdi Tahrat (Lens, France), Djamel Benlamri (Al-Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Ramy Bensebaini (Rennes, France), Mohamed Fares (SPAL, Italy) Ayoub Abdellaoui (USM Algers), Youcef Atal (Nice, France), Mehdi Zeffane (Rennes, France).
Midfielders: Oussama Chita (USM, Algers), Sapphire Taider (Montreal Impact, Canada), Ismael Bennacer (Empoli, Italy), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray, Turkey), Yacine Brahimi (FC Porto, Portugal), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, England), Adam Ounas (Napoli, Italy).
Forwards: Yacine Benzia (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Bentahar Meziane (USM Alger, Algeria), Youcef Belaili (Espérance, Tunisia), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd SC, Qatar), Islam Slimani (Fenerbahce, Turkey).
