Algiers – The head coach of Algeria’s national football team, Bosnian Vladimir Petkovic, defended on Thursday his squad selections for the final two qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The matches will be played against Somalia on Thursday, October 9, in Oran (17:00), and Uganda on Tuesday, October 14, in Tizi Ouzou (17:00). Petkovic stressed he had called up “the players in the best shape.”
Speaking at a press conference held at the “Mohamed Salah” hall in Nelson Mandela Stadium (Baraki, Algiers), Petkovic said: “I chose the most ready players. When I have injured players, I take the opportunity to summon new faces and get to know them. I am not completely satisfied with our current performance, because I know we are capable of doing much better.”
For these decisive encounters, Petkovic selected a 26-man squad, including four new names: goalkeeper Luca Zidane (Granada/Spain), defenders Rafik Belghali (Hellas Verona/Italy), Samir Chergui (Paris FC/France), and Mehdi Dorval (Bari/Italy).
Four key players are absent due to injury: defenders Mohamed Farsi (Columbus Crew/USA), Rayan Aït Nouri (Manchester City/England), Youcef Atal (Al Sadd/Qatar), along with attacking midfielder Houssem Aouar (Al-Ittihad/Saudi Arabia).
“I am satisfied with our goalkeepers, but I want to expand options and create competition, as in other positions. Luca Zidane deserves the call-up, and he can bring value to the squad,” Petkovic noted, while refusing to open the debate about selecting a permanent first-choice goalkeeper at this stage.
The coach admitted that there are “areas for improvement, especially in defense,” but stressed that the focus remains on winning rather than experimenting. “We are not in a testing phase, we are in World Cup qualifiers. Systems are not the most important thing—it’s the players’ behavior on the pitch that matters,” he said.
Among those recalled is young attacking midfielder Badreddine Bouanani, who recently transferred from French side Nice to VfB Stuttgart in Germany. “Bouanani is a promising young talent. I want to follow his progress closely after his move to Germany. His development will be beneficial for him and the group. We need the youth both now and for the future,” Petkovic explained.
He also commented on other talents under consideration, such as striker Adel Boulbina, who joined Al-Duhail (Qatar) from Paradou AC. “I noticed he has made real progress since arriving in Qatar. He must now prove himself further and score more goals. He will be called up for the local national team to compete in the FIFA Arab Cup 2025,” revealed the coach.
As for young forward Mounsef Bakrar, who recently joined Dinamo Zagreb after two seasons at New York City FC in the MLS, Petkovic expressed his satisfaction: “I am happy with his move to Dinamo Zagreb. It’s an important step forward for his career.”
With two crucial fixtures ahead, Algeria aims to seal qualification and confirm its strong return to the forefront of African football, strengthening its presence on the road to the 2026 World Cup.
