Booed and sidelined in his first six months in Marseille, Himad Abdelli has established himself as a starter under Bruno Genesio. The OM attacking midfielder has been called up by Algeria for the double-header against Togo.
Himad Abdelli’s story with Olympique de Marseille looks like a dramatic turnaround. Signed from Angers in the winter transfer window, the Algerian attacking midfielder endured a difficult start before Bruno Genesio’s arrival changed everything. Since then, he has made the starting spot his own.
Against Lens, he was fielded as the playmaker in Genesio’s 4-3-3 in Marseille’s 2-1 win, according to Foot Marseille. The performance comes as the player is now called up by Algeria for the double-header against Togo.
A rebirth under Genesio
Under Bruno Genesio, Himad Abdelli has started match after match, featuring in all nine of OM’s league games this season, according to Foot Afrique. A spectacular change of status for a player who was booed in his early days in Marseille.
The win at Lens extends OM’s momentum, with the club on a run of five consecutive Ligue 1 victories, Foot-Africa reports. The attacking midfielder played there in a 4-3-3 as the playmaker.
A difficult start in Marseille
Signed for €2.75 million from Angers, Himad Abdelli went through a tough first six months. Booed, he was sidelined by Habib Beye after an altercation in late April, according to Foot Afrique.
That slump contrasts with the current situation: after being frozen out, the attacking midfielder has won back a starting place under Bruno Genesio.
A call-up with Algeria
Brahim Hemdani, the Algeria head coach, has included Himad Abdelli among the 26 players called up for the double-header against Togo on 14 and 17 November. The matches count for matchdays 3 and 4 of Group I in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, according to Footafrica.net citing Le Matin d’Algérie. Algeria go into the two games top of their group.
Mohamed Azzi (CSKA Moscow) and Abderrahmane Rebbach (Deportivo Alavés) are called up for the first time. Amine Gouiri, Hicham Boudaoui and Amine Amoura (OGC Nice) are also on the list. Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City), Ilan Kebbal (Paris FC) and Adam Zorgane (Union Saint-Gilloise) are not called up, according to Footafrica.net.