Ramy Bensebaini has moved to deny reports that he wanted to leave Algeria’s squad, while attention remains focused on the expected response from Rayan Ait-Nouri after his dispute with manager Brahim Hemdani.
Bensebaini addressed Algeria supporters on Sunday through an Instagram Story, insisting that he had not sought to leave the national-team camp during the recent international window.
The 31-year-old defender was reported to have wanted to depart between Algeria’s two CAN 2027 qualifying matches and their friendly against Niger. Algeria beat Zambia 3-1 on 25 September before drawing 2-2 with Burundi on 29 September, then defeated Niger 2-1 on 6 October.
Bensebaini, who has won 88 caps for the Fennecs and scored eight goals, also used his message to reaffirm his commitment to Algeria and the national team.
His statement came after widespread denials had already challenged reports that the former Rennes player had left the squad following an altercation with Hemdani at the end of September.
The Federation algerienne de football (FAF) and the players had previously sought to dismiss the rumours without issuing a direct public response. Official images showed Bensebaini training with the squad before the match against Niger, while another photograph posted by Ibrahim Maza and later shared by Bensebaini showed him with his team-mates in the gym.
Bensebaini then appeared in the Niger match, further contradicting reports that he had abandoned the camp. He came off the substitutes’ bench and scored 10 minutes after entering the field.
Those appearances did not prevent further claims from circulating, prompting the defender’s latest clarification.
The developments follow the continuing expectation that Ait-Nouri will speak publicly about the incident involving Hemdani. The dispute led to the Manchester City defender leaving the Algeria gathering, making his position one of the main subjects of discussion around the national team.
While Ait-Nouri has yet to deliver the anticipated explanation, Bensebaini has made clear that the claims about his own conduct during the camp were inaccurate. His intervention also restated his attachment to Algeria at a time when speculation surrounding the squad has intensified.