Mehdi Lahcen to Echourok: I feel sorry for missing the African Cup tournament

Few minutes before taking his flight to head for Algeria in the company of his teammate Abdelkader Ghezzal, Echourok seized the opportunity to discuss with the fresh international Mehdi Lahcen at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, France and ask several questions in relation to his recent joining to the “Greens”.

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• Q: Good evening Lahcen, this is Echourok’s correspondent from Bari?
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• A: Hello
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• Q: You will set foot for the first time in Algeria within few hours, how do you feel?
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• A: I’m very happy; I’ve longed to visit my country since a long time, but couldn’t do it for various reasons.
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• Q: why did you choose to travel to Algeria through Paris?
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• A: I decided to pay a visit to my family first before heading for Algiers because I didn’t see it for a long time, in addition, there aren’t direct flights linking Santander, Spain, to Algiers; that’s why I chose to Paris.
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• Q: I was informed that he Algerian Football Federation found tremendous difficulties to get in touch with you in order to forward you your flight plan is that true?
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• A: I found some missed calls on my phone, but called back and sorted out the matter very quickly.
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• Q: Is your move to Algeria to take part to the Greens’ training camp designed to familiarize with the group or do you really want to play versus Serbia?
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• A: I’m like any other player who was summoned to take part to the training camp ahead of the match versus Serbia, the head coach Rabah saadane will decide whether I’m fit to play the match after supervising me during the training session.
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• Q: So you conform that you are here to take part to the match, then?
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• A: Of course, I’m physically and morally on top and hope to be ready tomorrow Wednesday. I will to my utmost to make a good showing during the two training session in order to convince the coach to put me in the starting line- up.
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• Q: How do you expect the other players’ attitude towards you would be?
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• A: Actually, Rabah Saadane has assured me on the phone that the environment inside the team was very sane and that all the players are looking forward to meeting me. I will not found any difficulty to adapt to the group.
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• Q: When did the last phone call take place between you and the coach?
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• A: We are calling each other regularly; I’m new to the group and have to be in touch constantly with my coach I order to advise me?.
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• Q: Do you feel sorry for not taking part to the last African Cup of Nations in Angola, where the Algerian national squad reached the semi- finals?
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• A: Yes and No, if I took part to the competition I would have adapted to the group, especially that the African tournament takes place throughout a certain period of time, but on the other hand my club wanted my services and my wife gave birth to my daughter at the same period. I would say that the African Cup of Nations calendar was not in my favour.
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• Q: You are going to take part to the training camp with the Greens for the first time; do you have any relationships with players?
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• A: Actually, no because I’m playing in Spain since a long time now, and most of them play in the German, Italian, British and French leagues except Abdelkader Ghezzal whom I met at the French airport and I think that we are going well together.
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• Q: Do you know some of them?
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• A: I know them all and I’ve met Djamel Abdoun who lives in Paris.
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• Q: Do you expect to meet your relatives upon your arrival at Algiers airport?
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• A: Sincerely, I have no clue
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• Q: In other words to you plan to extend your stay in Algeria to visit you family there?
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• A: I’ will do my very best to pay them a visit, but time is not appropriate because I have to come back to Spain at earliest because my club is in a difficult situation.
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• Q; Scores of fans will flock to the Olympic stadium to support you, have you ever met the Algerian fans?
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• A: I’m itching to discover atmosphere of the Olympic stadium especially that I have heard a lot about the Algerian fans. I’m looking forward to beating Serbia to make them happy.
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