Olympique de Marseille attacking midfielder Himad Abdelli is in Algeria’s 26-man squad to face Togo on 14 and 17 November. Frozen out by former OM head coach Habib Beye, he was revived by Bruno Genesio after six difficult months.
Himad Abdelli has been called up by the Algeria national team. Head coach Brahim Hemdani included him in the 26-man squad for the double-header against Togo on 14 and 17 November, according to Footafrica.net. The call-up crowns the turnaround of the Olympique de Marseille attacking midfielder, a few months after he was banished from the squad by Habib Beye.
Abdelli’s Marseille story had got off to a bad start. Signed from Angers for €2.75m, the player endured six difficult opening months, was whistled by the fans and then dropped from the squad after a bust-up with Habib Beye in late April.
A starter under Genesio
Bruno Genesio’s arrival in the Marseille dugout changed everything. The new head coach made Abdelli a starter, fielding him as playmaker in his 4-3-3 in the 2-1 win at Lens. That match extended OM’s run of five straight Ligue 1 wins.
The shift contrasts sharply with the previous months. Under Beye, Abdelli had been frozen out of the squad; under Genesio, he has featured in all nine of his club’s Ligue 1 matches this season, according to Footafrica.net.
A collective revival in Marseille
Abdelli’s case is not an isolated one. According to OneFootball, Bruno Genesio has revived the attacking midfielder, as well as Amine Harit, while bringing on Jeffrey De Lange, CJ Egan-Riley, Nayef Aguerd and Tochukwu Nnadi.
For Abdelli, the Algeria call-up follows a climb that took him from whistled and out of the squad to a starter in Genesio’s 4-3-3. Brahim Hemdani has handed him a fresh chance on the international stage.
Next stop Togo
Algeria’s 26-man squad to face Togo therefore includes Himad Abdelli. The first meeting is set for Saturday 14 November in Tizi Ouzou, before a trip to Lomé on 17 November.
In late April, the bust-up with Habib Beye had led to his removal from the Marseille squad. Abdelli is now back on international duty, two months after that slump.