Football / Belfodil Benaouda to Echorouk: “Ishak has not betrayed Algeria, he will join the Greens at the opportune moment”

In a telephone conversation with the newspaper “Echorouk”, the father of the young Algerian footballer playing in France, Ishak Belfodil Benaouda, has said that his son has not betrayed Algeria and will opt for the Algeria national squad once he reaches the age of 21.  

• *Studying has prevented Ishak from taking part in the recent U 17 Africa cup of Nations competition held in Algeria.
• The father affirmed that Ishak wanted eagerly to participle in the recently – held edition of the U 17 Africa cup of Nations together with the Algeria squad but his compelling studies in France coincided with the holding of the competition.
• *The staff managers of the Lyon club were opposed to his participation in the Africa cup tournament.
• Ishak’s father revealed that the managers of the French squad of Lyon barred him from joining the U 17 Algeria line-up to take part in the recent African contest, by threatening to rescind his contract with the club if he ever decided to travel to Algeria for the tournament.
• *We informed during a Paris encounter assistant coach Hakim Meddane of the ins and outs of the situation.
• A meeting was arranged in France by the father and his son with the assistant – coach of the U 17 Algeria squad Hakim Meddane to whom they explained the great dilemma facing Ishak Belfodil on account of the undue leverage exerted on him by Lyon managers.
•  Belfodil said in this connection that Hakim Meddane showed a lot of understanding during the encounter.
• *Ishak Belfodil has a 4 – year probation contract with the Lyon club.
• Belfodil Benaouda explained that his son would pursue his training with Lyon for 4 years, adding that he was planning to take part with the France line – up in a U 17 European football contest slated for next May in Germany.
• *Chelsea and several French clubs are eying Ishak Belfodil for a future contract.
• Benaouda also revealed that his son Ishak Belfodil has already received staggering offers from several European clubs notably from the English side of Chelsea whose top managers are closely following his evolution in France with the aim of including this hopeful player in their line – up in the near future owing to his budding footballing potential.