Ilan Kebbal, the Paris FC attacking midfielder, is not among the 26 players named by head coach Brahim Hemdani for Algeria’s double header against Togo, despite starting in Ligue 1 this season.
The squad is out and one name is missing. Ilan Kebbal, 28, was not included by Brahim Hemdani in the 26-man Algeria squad called up for the double header against Togo. Is the Paris FC attacking midfielder paying for his profile, or simply for the competition? The report says nothing about the coach’s reasons, and no statement from either side is available.
On the pitch, however, the player is undroppable. On Saturday 7 November he started at Auxerre, where Paris FC won 1-0, before being replaced in the second half by his teammate Patrick Zabi. Another start, in a season in which he has started every one of his ten Ligue 1 matches.
Ten starts, 771 minutes
The numbers, compiled by Sport News Africa, paint the picture of an undisputed starter: ten Ligue 1 matches this season, all as a starter, for 771 minutes, one goal and one assist. Against Rennes on 18 October, in Paris FC’s 4-3 win, he was given a rating of 7.9.
At Auxerre, RotoWire credits him with two chances created and three crosses, one of them accurate. All signs of a player at the heart of Paris FC’s game, in a team sitting third in Ligue 1 after ten matchdays, three points behind PSG according to Onze Mondial.
The contrast is all the more striking given that Paris FC rely on him week after week. Kebbal keeps playing, keeps producing, and yet remains out of the squad just as Algeria begin their double header.
The debate over Hemdani’s choices
Kebbal’s absence is fuelling the debate over the coach’s choices in Algeria, reports Footafrica.net. The issue pits a player who starts for the third-placed team in Ligue 1 against a coach with a 26-man squad and his own criteria, which the report does not detail.
In the absence of any comment, possible explanations remain hypotheses. No statement from Brahim Hemdani or Ilan Kebbal has been made public, and it would be reckless to suggest a reason — tactical choice, load management, competition for his position — without anything to back it up.
Tizi Ouzou on 14 November
The date is set: Algeria face Togo on 14 November in Tizi Ouzou, as part of the double header between the two national teams. Kebbal will watch the match from outside the squad.
Paris FC, third in Ligue 1, started him in their last match, at Auxerre.