Algeria’s 2-1 victory over Niger did little to settle Brahim Hemdani’s selection doubts, despite the manager making seven changes from the side that faced Burundi.
The friendly was intended to give the Algeria manager a chance to assess the depth of his squad and broaden his options. Abdelatif Ramdane, Sohaib Nair and Ilan Kebbal were among those handed their first starts for the national team as Hemdani reshuffled his line-up.
However, Algeria’s eventual comeback win suggested there is still a significant gap between the established players and those trying to break into the team.
The hosts struggled to develop an understanding during a disjointed first half. They moved the ball without enough speed to unsettle Niger’s defensive shape, while every loss of possession exposed problems in transition. Niger’s opener in the 12th minute, scored by Konan N’Dri after a series of Algerian errors, was therefore no surprise.
The lack of cohesion was evident across the pitch. Algeria’s new-look defence found it difficult to remain organised, the midfield lacked acceleration in possession and the forwards rarely made complementary movements.
Kebbal attempted to provide greater movement and created an early opening, but too often found himself without team-mates making themselves available on the same wavelength.
It would be harsh to assess the newcomers solely on the basis of one match. Yet after the imbalances seen in the previous game against Burundi, the extensive rotation was supposed to provide Hemdani with alternative solutions. Instead, it produced relatively few convincing answers.
Algeria improved significantly after the interval, increasing both the intensity of their play and the pressure applied to Niger. Mohamed Bachir Belloumi, who had come on before half-time for the injured Ibrahim Maza, levelled with a free-kick in the 53rd minute.
Adel Boulbina then won a penalty, which Ramy Bensebaini converted in the 72nd minute to complete the turnaround.
The way the match changed was revealing. Algeria’s decisive contributions came from players Hemdani had already used in the previous two games. The result showed that making wholesale changes does not automatically create genuine squad depth.
Hemdani has several promising alternatives, but Tuesday’s match in Tizi-Ouzou indicated he does not yet have two interchangeable teams.
Against an accessible Niger side, Algeria had to rely on familiar faces to regain control and avoid an uncomfortable result. After two rounds of qualification, the established core therefore remains ahead of the challengers, although it has not been entirely convincing itself.
For Ramdane, Nair, Kebbal and the other players given an opportunity, the door remains open. But even in a friendly, nobody did enough in Tizi-Ouzou to make Hemdani rethink his current pecking order.