Amine Gouiri will miss Algeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Burundi on Tuesday after suffering a muscle injury, leaving coach Brahim Hemdani with limited options in attack.
Gouiri was injured during the 3-1 win over Zambia and was released from the national team camp after undergoing medical examinations. He will also be unavailable for Algeria’s friendly against Niger.
His absence leaves Hemdani to decide who will lead the line in Bujumbura. Gouiri is not a traditional number nine himself, but the alternatives available to Algeria are even less established in that role.
Amin Chiakha appears to have the strongest claim to start. The 20-year-old Rosenborg forward came on after only 20 minutes against Zambia and did not produce an outstanding performance, but his movement and work rate helped Algeria improve as the match progressed.
He was involved in the build-up to the second goal, and his recall to the squad was partly prompted by the team’s lack of efficiency at centre-forward. Starting him on the artificial pitch in the heat of the afternoon in Burundi would provide a demanding test, but the match also offers a suitable opportunity to assess him from the beginning in an official fixture.
If Hemdani opts against Chiakha, Monsef Bakrar is the most natural alternative. The former Dinamo Zagreb striker, now with Al-Ahly, is an experienced option but comes after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations and has yet to fully convince at international level.
Mohamed Amoura could also be moved into a central position. His pace would pose a significant threat in behind the Burundi defence, although a similar experiment against Sudan at the last Africa Cup of Nations was unsuccessful. Amoura has generally looked more comfortable starting from a wide position or playing around a focal striker.
A longer-standing problem
Algeria’s uncertainty up front predates Gouiri’s injury. Since Islam Slimani retired and Baghdad Bounedjah was left out of the squad, no centre-forward has established himself as the clear successor.
Options from the domestic league have not yet solved the issue. Aymen Mahious has already been given an opportunity without convincing, while the younger Mohamed El Amine Ramdaoui is not yet viewed as an immediate answer.
Algeria have a wide range of mobile and technically gifted forwards, but they lack an undisputed number nine capable of occupying opposing centre-backs and finishing chances consistently.
There is still time for a solution to emerge before the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. For Chiakha, however, Tuesday represents a rare chance to start an official match through the middle and demonstrate that he can become more than a supporting option.
At Bujumbura, Hemdani will not simply be trying to replace Gouiri for one game. He may also begin addressing a problem that has been developing since the departures of Slimani and Bounedjah.