Ilan Kebbal is not among the 26 Algerian players called up by Brahim Hemdani to face Togo. The Paris FC midfielder, a starter in each of his 10 Ligue 1 matches this season, could be paying for his September comments, according to a journalist.
Ilan Kebbal, 28, is not among the 26 players selected by head coach Brahim Hemdani for the double-header against Togo on 14 and 17 November, according to Footafrica.net. An absence that comes as a surprise, given his season at club level.
This season, the Paris FC attacking midfielder has started each of his 10 Ligue 1 matches, for 771 minutes, 1 goal and 1 assist. On 18 October, he was given a rating of 7.9 in his team’s 4-3 win over Rennes. Paris FC sit third in the league after ten rounds, three points behind PSG.
An omission that raises questions
The squad unveiled by Hemdani therefore does not include Kebbal’s name. No official explanation has emerged: neither the head coach nor the player has commented on the reasons for this absence, according to Footafrica.net.
For a player who starts every league match for a club sitting third, this omission is surprising. All the more so as it concerns a double-header rather than a simple friendly.
The September comments trail
According to Football365, journalist Samir Lamari has put forward a theory: the critical remarks made by Kebbal after the September camp could explain this absence. “Anyone who wants to know why Ilan Kebbal is absent should reread the comments made at the end of the September camp,” he said.
At the time, Kebbal had described Algeria’s performance against Niger as “far from sufficient”. He had also called it “a little unfair” not to have taken part in the 2026 World Cup. If those statements were confirmed as the cause of his absence, they would raise the question of the place of players’ freedom of speech within the squad. For now, nothing establishes a cause-and-effect link.
Back to the pitch
Algeria face Togo on 14 November in Tizi Ouzou, before the return leg on 17 November in Lomé. Kebbal will take part in neither of the two matches.
The head coach will have to do without the Paris FC attacking midfielder for these two fixtures.