Ilan Kebbal, a starter for Paris FC, is not among the 26 players named by Brahim Hemdani for the double-header against Togo. In Algeria, the midfielder’s absence has fuelled debate over the coach’s selections.
Paris FC have made a strong start to their Ligue 1 season, and Ilan Kebbal is a starter in the side. On Saturday 7 November, the 28-year-old midfielder began the match at Auxerre, where his team won 1-0, before being replaced in the second half by his teammate Patrick Zabi, also a midfielder, according to Footafrica.net.
That same Kebbal is not among the 26 players named by Brahim Hemdani, the Algeria coach, for the double-header against Togo on 14 and 17 November. The omission is raising eyebrows, given that the player has been starting regularly for his club.
A start to the season in numbers
Sport News Africa counts ten Ligue 1 matches played by Kebbal, all of them as a starter, for 771 minutes of action, one goal and one assist. The outlet gave him a rating of 7.9 in Paris FC’s 4-3 win over Rennes on 18 October.
Those performances have gone hand in hand with the Paris club’s run: third in Ligue 1 after ten matchdays and three points behind PSG, according to Onze Mondial. Kebbal has established himself as a starter there, which makes his absence from the Algerian squad all the more conspicuous.
The debate rumbles on in the Algerian press
Brahim Hemdani’s squad list has sparked discussion in Algeria. According to Footafrica.net, the Algerian press has picked out several names left out, including Kebbal, Aït-Nouri and Zorgane, and the absence of the Paris FC man is feeding questions over the coach’s selections.
No official explanation for the decision has been given by Brahim Hemdani. There is therefore nothing to indicate whether it is a footballing choice, a question of profile or another reason: the only certainty is the 26-man list, on which Kebbal’s name does not appear.
Togo up next, then back to club duty
Algeria face Togo during the same international window, with the first meeting on Saturday 14 November, followed by the return match on Tuesday 17 November. Kebbal will therefore watch both games from afar, barring a last-minute U-turn, which the sources do not mention.
Paris FC, for their part, will get their midfielder back after the break, when their league campaign resumes.