Algeria Faces Setback Ahead of World Cup Clash with Argentina

The argentinas-emiliano-martinez-cleared-to-play-against-algeria-in-world-cup-opener/">Algerian national team has suffered a significant blow ahead of their World Cup 2026 campaign, as defender Ramy Bensebaini has been ruled out of the opening match against Argentina due to incomplete recovery from an ankle injury sustained while playing for Borussia Dortmund.

According to reports, the coaching staff, led by Vladimir Petkovic, has confirmed Bensebaini’s unavailability for the match after he failed to regain full fitness. His absence also meant missing the last two friendly matches against the Netherlands and Bolivia, despite being included in the squad for the tournament.

Bensebaini’s absence poses a considerable challenge for the coaching team due to his critical role in the defense and his extensive international experience. Additionally, there is no left-footed substitute with comparable skills and defensive capabilities.

Petkovic is expected to rely on Juan Hegazy to fill the left-back position, even though it is not his primary role. The defensive trio will likely consist of Aissa Mandi and Zinedine Belaid alongside him during the highly anticipated clash against Argentina.

The Algerian team hopes to overcome this defensive crisis and achieve a positive result against the world champions in one of the most exciting matches of the first round of the World Cup 2026.