04.05.2010
No surprises in Algeria's pre-World Cup squad
Algeria coach Rabah Saadane on Tuesday unveiled his pre-World Cup squad, the majority of whom took part in the African Cup of Nations.
"Selection has been a real headache but I wanted to keep the backbone of the team that got through to the semi-finals in Angola," Saadane told journalists.
Thirty players were picked for training camps in Crans-Montana, Switzerland (May 13-26), and Nuremberg, Germany (May 31-June 6), but the coach will name the five reserves at a later date.
Apart from three goalkeepers, Saadane picked just one outfield player plying his trade in the Algerian championship, Abdelkader Laifaoui of ES Setif.
Algeria will play warm-up games against Ireland on June 28 in Dublin and the United Arab Emirates in Nuremberg on June 5.
The north Africans have been drawn in Group C at the June 11-July 11 World Cup finals in South Africa alongside England, Slovenia and the United States.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Fawzi Chouachi (ES Setif), Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (MC Alger), M'bohi Rais Ouheb (Slavia Sofia/BUL)
Defenders: Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers/SCO), Carl Medjani Carl (Ajaccio/FRA), Rafi Halliche (Nacional Madeira/POR), Anther Yahia (Bochum/GER), Haib Belaid (Boulogne/FRA), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth/ENG), Djamel Mesbah (Lecce/ITA)
Midfielders: Hassen Yebda (Potsmouth/ENG), Mehdi Lacen (Racing Santander/ESP), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient/FRA), Adlane Guedioura (Wolverhampton/ENG), Riad Boudebouz Riad (Sochaux/FRA), Djamel Abdoun (Nantes/FRA), Fouad Kadir (Valencienne/ FRA), Mourad Meghni (Lazio/ITA), Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg/GER), Karim Matmour (M'Gladbach/GER)
Strikers: Abdelkader Ghezzal (Sienna/ITA), Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athens/GRE), Rafik Saifi (Istres/FRA)
Source: © 2010 AFP - Fayez Nureldine
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