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Hemdani sends Rayan Aït-Nouri back to Manchester City after first squad gathering

New Algeria manager Brahim Hemdani has dropped left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri from the squad the day after the Fennecs' 3-1 victory over Zambia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

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Hemdani sends Rayan Aït-Nouri back to Manchester City after first squad gathering
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Brahim Hemdani made a strong statement at his first squad gathering as Algeria manager: the coach dropped left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri, sending him back to Manchester City the day after the Fennecs’ 3-1 victory over Zambia in the opening match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Algerian Football Federation confirmed the decision in a brief statement: “The national team manager, Mr. Brahim Hemdani, decided on Saturday to release player Rayan Aït-Nouri from the current training camp of the national team. The Algerian international will return to his club, Manchester City.”

The circumstances surrounding the exclusion shed light on the decision. Starting on the bench against Zambia, Aït-Nouri was sent to warm up early in the second half, before eventually being recalled to the bench after Zambia equalized. Videos posted on social media show the former Angers player visibly frustrated by this treatment.

Hemdani, who recently took over the national team, is thus sending a clear signal about his behavioral expectations, even if it means doing without a Premier League player. Algeria plays its next qualifying match in this same gathering, without Aït-Nouri.

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