AFCON 2023: Can Belmadi keep ignoring Yacine Brahimi?
Will Yacine Brahimi be recalled by Belmadi for the 2023 AFCON? The Algerian winger is enjoying a superb season in Qatar.
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Among the high-profile casualties of the Fennecs' failure at the last AFCON is Yacine Brahimi. Djamel Belmadi axed his winger as soon as the tournament ended. He has not called him up since, even though in the meantime even the former outcast Andy Delort has made his return. So has Bagdad Bounedjah, who came in for a barrage of criticism after Algeria's early exit while they were defending their title in Cameroon. Yaciine Brahimi, for his part, has still not got back into the squad. Is he finished? Far from it.
The former Porto player, a key man for the Algeria side who won the 2021 Arab Cup and were African champions in 2019, is having the best season of his career on the numbers. He is simply in sensational form. In nine league games, the 33-year-old has left the pitch without finding the net only once. That was in the heavy defeat against Al Sadd (4-0). In every other match, Yacine Brahimi has scored past every goalkeeper. He is the top scorer in the Qatar Stars League (13 goals) and the second-highest provider of assists (5 assists), behind Qatari Akram Afif (6 assists). If Al Gharafa, who have not been Qatari champions since 2010, are currently top of the league, it is down to him.
His performances may not leave Djamel Belmadi unmoved. With the CAF allowing coaches to name up to 27 players for the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, the Fennecs boss could therefore include Yacine Brahimi in his squad. It would be quite a last dance for an old fennec.