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Hemdani leaves Algerian captaincy in limbo, Bensebaïni frontrunner

At his first press conference as head of the Fennecs, Brahim Hemdani announced his 26-player squad for September without naming a captain, the armband remaining vacant since Riyad Mahrez's international retirement.

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Hemdani leaves Algerian captaincy in limbo, Bensebaïni frontrunner
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Brahim Hemdani unveiled his first 26-player squad on Thursday for Algeria’s September gathering, without settling the captaincy question, left open since Riyad Mahrez’s international retirement.

Named head coach of the Fennecs following Vladimir Petkovic’s dismissal after the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, the former Olympique de Marseille player acknowledged having “an idea for the armband”, specifying that he wished to “see the players who are capable of leading the young players” before deciding.

According to La Gazette du Fennec, Ramy Bensebaïni would be the leading candidate to inherit the role, with 85 caps to his name. The Dortmund defender “stands out as the main option for the captain’s status”, the outlet indicates, also citing Lille’s Nabil Bentaleb as a credible alternative. Hemdani has nevertheless ruled out entrusting the armband to a young player.

During this September gathering, Algeria will play two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers: hosting Zambia on September 25, then travelling to Burundi on September 29. A friendly match against Niger is also scheduled for October 6.

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