Yacine Adli is reportedly not part of Algeria manager Brahim Hemdani’s extended plans for the upcoming international break, despite claims that the midfielder had been included in a preliminary squad.
El Heddaf TV previously reported that the 26-year-old had been shortlisted for Algeria’s two-match qualifying tie against Togo on 14 and 17 November. The fixtures form part of the third and fourth rounds of qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
That report caused anger among some Algerian observers, who continue to view Adli as persona non grata because of comments he made when explaining his initial decision to represent France. At the time, he said he wanted to “play at the highest level”.
However, insider Samir Kaabouche has offered a different account. According to Kaabouche, Adli is neither in Hemdani’s plans nor included in the expanded list being considered for the next squad.
The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) is also said not to have contacted the Al-Shabab midfielder or begun any process to change his sporting nationality. Despite Adli’s apologies, the federation is reportedly still refusing to reopen the door to him.
The situation remains uncertain, however, because journalist Khaled Mazouzi has backed the original version of events. Mazouzi claims Adli was included in the 55-player extended list after completing his change of sporting nationality.
Even on that account, though, Adli’s chances of joining the Algeria squad for the November fixtures are described as almost non-existent. That would suggest the possibility of a future call-up has not been completely ruled out, with the next international window potentially more realistic.
The conflicting information has led to suggestions that the FAF and the technical staff may have been testing the reaction to Adli’s possible return. Hemdani may initially have included the former Fiorentina player in his plans before withdrawing the idea in response to the hostility it generated.
For now, there has been no clear confirmation of whether Adli has been contacted by the federation, included in the 55-man list, or considered for the Togo matches.