RABAT: Algeria’s preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations have suffered a setback with the withdrawal of influential midfielder Houssem Aouar due to injury. The Algerian Football Federation confirmed on Friday that Aouar was hurt during training on Thursday, forcing him out of the tournament in Morocco, with no further details disclosed.
Aouar, who previously earned a cap for France before committing to Algeria, featured at the last Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where the Desert Foxes endured a shock early exit. His absence deprives Algeria of creativity and experience in midfield as they look to mount a strong challenge this time.
Himad Abdelli has been called up as Aouar’s replacement. The Angers midfielder was a surprise omission from the original 28-man squad announced last week but now gets a chance to contribute. The 26-year-old, French-born Abdelli has already won four caps for Algeria.
Algeria begin their Group E campaign against Sudan in Rabat on Wednesday, before facing Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea, as they aim to overcome this latest hurdle and revive their AFCON ambitions.
