Algeria loses key midfielder on eve of AFCON
Algeria has been dealt a blow to its Africa Cup of Nations hopes with the withdrawal of key midfielder Houssem Aouar.
He was injured in training on Friday (AEDT), an Algerian football federation statement read, and will be replaced for the tournament in Morocco by Himad Abdelli from French club Angers. No details of the injury have been given.
Aouar, who won a cap for France before switching his international allegiance to Algeria, played at the previous Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast two years ago, where Algeria was a shock early casualty.
In Morocco, Algeria competes in Group E, starting against Sudan in Rabat on Thursday (AEDT) before playing Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea.
Abdelli was a surprise omission from Algeria’s initial 28-man squad list announced last week. The 26-year-old is French-born but has won four caps for Algeria.
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