Halilhodzic Brings Back Meghni to the Greens

New Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic has called up 33-man squad for the team’s first training camp under his reign that will take place in France on 7 to 11 August. The coach wants to have a closer look at all his players.

The Bosnian manager included some big names that were excluded from the Desert Foxes squad recently, including former Lazio playmaker Mourad Meghni who joined Qatari Umm Salal, as well as Birmingham winger Hameur Bouazza and Fulham defender Rafik Halliche.

The new striker of FSV Frankfurt, Karim Benyamina and the striker of Saudi Al Itihad, Abdelmalik Ziyaya have also returned to the first squad, wishing they could heal the inefficient offensive line.  

However, Halilhodzic has not called up Kavala playmaker Djamel Abdoun, and ES Setif goalkeeper, Faouzi Chaouchi, noting that Abdoun did an excellent performance last season in the Greek Liga. The pair exclusion confirms that they have been sanctioned by the Algerian Football Federation for disciplinary reasons.

Yet, talented Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia-Spain) and Yacine Brahimi (Reines- France) and Amir Saioud (Ahli-Egypt) have not been offered the chance to join the first team yet. 

Halilhodzic also made a first call up for Clermont Foot keeper Michael Fabre hoping he would join the team, amid weak performances of Rais Mbolhi with Russain Samsara. 

Goalkeepers:

Malik Asselah (JS Kabylie), Azzeddine Doukha (USM Harrach), Michael Fabre (Clermont Foot, France), Mbolhi Rais (Krylia Sovetov, Russia), Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (MC Alger)

Defenders:

Nadir Belhadj (Al Sadd, Qatar), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers, Scotland), Ismael Bouzid (Hearts, Scotland) , Brahim Ferradj (Brest, France), Rafik Halliche (Fulham, England)

Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), Carl Medjani (Ajaccio, France), Djamel Eddine Mesbah (Lecce, Italy), Mehdi Mostefa (Ajaccio, France), Anthar Yahia (Al Nasr, Saudi Arabia)

Midfielders:

Chadli Amri (Kaiserslautern, Germany), Hameur Bouazza (Millwall, England), Ryad Boudebouz (Sochaux, France), Adlene Guedioura (Wolverhampton, England), Lazehar Hadj Aissa (ES Setif), Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes, France), Medhi Lacen (Getafe, Spain), Kaled Lemmouchia (ES Setif), Karim Matmour (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)

Mourad Meghni (Umm Salal, Qatar), Walid Mesloub (Le Havre, France), Hassan Yebda (Benfica, Portugal), Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg, Germany)

Strikers:

Karim Benyamina (FSV Frankfurt, Germany), Rafik Djebbour (Olympiakos, Greece), Abdelkader Ghezzal (Bari, Italy), El Arabi Hilal Soudani (ASO Chlef), Abdelmalik Ziaya (Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia).