Greens Of Algeria Flew To Yaounde With 22 Players Amid Worry About Tieder’s Injury

The Algerian national team arrived in Yaoundé on Thursday afternoon in expectation of its fixture versus Cameroon slated for next Saturday as part of the fifth round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup contest to be hosted by Russia.

The Greens were welcomed on the spot by the members of the Algerian diplomatic mission in Cameroon, as well as by the FAF delegate, Hakim Meddane who traveled before the mission to oversee all organizational matters in anticipation of the Saturday fixture in Yaoundé stadium.

The head of the FAF, Kheireddine Zetchi, was not among the delegation of the Greens who flew on Thursday morning to Cameroon on a private flight of the Algerian Airlines, but Zetchi commissioned a member of the FAF Federal Bureau, Rachid Gasmi, to head the national team after the apology of his deputies namely Rebbouh Haddad and Bachir Ould Zemirli asking to be exempted from this trip.

This absence has raised many questions and could trigger off a new crisis of confidence between the President of the Algerian Football Federation and his two deputies, especially with his second deputy Bachir Ould Zemirli, who was appointed at the head of the Steering Committee of the national team during the recent meeting of the FAF Federal bureau.

In a reaction, Mr. Zetchi considered the latter’s absence from the Algerian delegation as an act of negligence and neglect of his devolved duties within the executive branch of the FAF, as Zemirli is tasked with the administration of the national football team.

The national football squad comprises 22 players after national team coach Lucas Alcáraz decided not to call up any other player to replace left-winger Fawzi Ghoulam, who will be left behind owing to a confirmed flue disease.

On Thursday morning, the national team players underwent a light training session, which was held under the watchful eye of national team coach Lucas Alcárez at the national Sidi Moussa technical center on the western outskirts of Algiers before moving to Houari Boumediene International Airport to travel to Cameroon. 

It should be noted that midfielder Saphir Tieder, trained at the Sidi Moussa centre individually because of muscle pain, but the Greens’ doctor confirmed all the same Tieder’s readiness for the upcoming match versus the indomitable lions of Cameroon.

As a recall, the Cameroon-Algeria fixture in Yaoundé stadium will kick off starting from 5 hours p.m on Saturday October 7th.