Algeria 2014 FIFA World Cup Squad: Player-by-Player Guide

Algeria became the second African nation to release their provisional World Cup squad of 30 when, on Monday, coach Vahid Halilhodzic announced his selection.

The Desert Foxes have been drawn into World Cup group H alongside Russia, Belgium and South Korea. They begin their campaign on June 17, at the Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte, against Belgium.

Largely, the squad chosen by the manager was as expected. The players who have served Algeria well during qualification remain in the squad.

Six of the players who featured in the side’s disappointing Cup of Nations showing in early 2013 have missed out, while there was also no place for striker Ishak Belfodil, who has endured a disappointing campaign in Italy.

Nabil Bentaleb and Aissa Mandi, both of whom made their debut in the recent friendly against Slovenia, make the squad, while there is a recall for SC Bastia midfielder Ryad Boudebouz, who hasn’t featured for the Maghreb side since the Cup of Nations.

Finally, Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez receives a first invitation after his impressive title-winning campaign in the Championship.

Read on for player-by-player profiles of Algeria’s 30-man preliminary World Cup squad.

Name: Mohamed Zemmamouche 

Date of Birth: 19/03/1985 

Birthplace: Mila 

Position: Goalkeeper 

Caps: 6 

Club: USM Alger 

Name: Azzedine Doukha 

Date of Birth: 05/08/1986 

Birthplace: Chettia 

Position: Goalkeeper 

Caps: 5 

Club: USM El Harrach 

Name: Rais M’Bolhi

Date of Birth: 25/04/1986

Birthplace: Paris (France)

Position: Goalkeeper

Caps: 27

Club: CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria)

Name: Cedric Si Mohamed

Date of Birth: 09/01/1985

Birthplace: Roanne (France)

Position: Goalkeeper 

Caps: 1

Club: CS Constantine

Name: Carl Medjani

Date of Birth: 15/05/1985

Birthplace: Lyon (France)

Position: Centre-back, Defensive midfielder

Caps: 24

Club: Valenciennes, on loan from AS Monaco (Both France)

Name: Madjid Bougherra 

Date of Birth: 07/10/1982 

Birthplace: Longvic (France) 

Position: Centre-back 

Caps: 61 

Club: Lekhwiya (Qatar) 

Name: Rafik Halliche 

Date of Birth: 02/09/1986 

Birthplace: Algiers 

Position: Centre-back 

Caps: 27 

Club: Academica de Coimbra (Portugal) 

Name: Djamel Mesbah 

Date of Birth: 02/09/1986 

Birthplace: Zighoud Youcef 

Position: Left-back, Left wing-back, Left midfield 

Caps: 25 

Club: Livorno, on loan from Parma (both Italy) 

Name: Essaid Belkalem 

Date of Birth: 01/01/1989 

Birthplace: Mekla 

Position: Centre-back 

Caps: 12 

Club: Watford (England), on loan from Granada (Spain) 

Name: Liassine Cadamuro-Bentaiba 

Date of Birth: 05/03/1988 

Birthplace: Toulouse (France) 

Position: Versatile Defender 

Caps: 6 

Club: RCD Mallorca, on loan from Real Sociedad (both Spain) 

Name: Faouzi Ghoulam

Date of Birth: 01/02/1991

Birthplace: Saint-Priest-en-Jarez (France)

Position: Left-back

Caps: 5

Club: Napoli (Italy)

Name: Aissa Mandi

Date of Birth: 22/10/1991

Birthplace: Chalons-en-Champagne (France)

Position: Right-back

Caps: 1

Club: Stade de Reims (France)

Name: Mehdi Mostefa 

Date of Birth: 30/08/1983

Birthplace: Dijon (France)

Position: Defensive midfielder, Versatile midfielder/defender

Caps: 22

Club: AC Ajaccio (France)

Name: Nacereddine Khoualed

Date of Birth: 16/04/1986

Birthplace: Biskra

Position: Defensive midfielder, Central midfielder, Right-back

Caps: 4

Club: USM Alger

Name: Amir Karaoui

Date of Birth: 07/03/1987

Birthplace: Amneville (France)

Position: Defensive midfielder

Caps: 1

Club: ES Setif

Name: Mehdi Lacen

Date of Birth: 15/05/1984

Birthplace: Versailles (France)

Position: Defensive midfielder

Caps: 28

Club: Getafe (Spain)

Name: Adlene Guedioura

Date of Birth: 12/11/1985

Birthplace: La Roche-sur-Yon (France)

Position: Central midfielder, Defensive midfielder

Caps: 27

Club: Crystal Palace (England)

Name: Saphir Taider

Date of Birth: 29/02/1992

Birthplace: Castres (France)

Position: Central midfielder, Right midfielder

Caps: 9

Club: Internazionale (Italy)

Name: Nabil Bentaleb

Date of Birth: 24/11/1994

Birthplace: Lille (France)

Position: Central midfielder

Caps: 1

Club: Tottenham Hotspur (England)

Name: Hassan Yebda

Date of Birth: 14/05/1984

Birthplace: Saint-Maurice (France)

Position: Central midfielder

Caps: 24

Club: Udinese (Italy), on loan from Granada (Spain)

Name: Foued Kadir

Date of Birth: 05/12/1983

Birthplace: Martigues (France)

Position: Attacking midfielder, Right winger, Right-sided midfielder

Caps: 23

Club: Rennes, on loan from Olympique Marseille (both France)

Name: Yacine Brahimi

Date of Birth: 08/02/1990

Birthplace: Paris (France)

Position: Attacking midfielder, Winger

Caps: 4

Club: Granada (Spain)

Name: Ryad Boudebouz

Date of Birth: 19/02/1990

Birthplace: Colmar (France)

Position: Right-winger, Attacking midfielder

Caps: 16

Club: SC Bastia (France)

Name: Riyad Mahrez

Date of Birth: 21/02/1991

Birthplace: Sarcelles (France)

Position: Winger

Caps: 0

Club: Leicester City (England)

Name: Sofiane Feghouli

Date of Birth: 26/12/1989

Birthplace: Levallois-Perret (France)

Position: Playmaker, Attacking midfielder, Right-winger

Caps: 17

Club: Valencia (Spain)

Name: Abdelmoumene Djabou

Date of Birth: 31/01/1987

Birthplace: Setif

Position: Attacking midfielder, Left-winger, Striker

Caps: 6

Club: Club Africain

Name: El Arbi Hillel Soudani

Date of Birth: 25/11/1987

Birthplace: Chlef

Position: Striker, Left-sided forward

Caps: 20

Club: Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Name: Islam Slimani

Date of Birth: 18/06/1988

Birthplace: Algiers

Position: Striker

Caps: 18

Club: Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal)\

Name: Rafik Djebbour

Date of Birth: 08/03/1984

Birthplace: Grenoble (France)

Position: Striker 

Caps: 33

Club: Nottingham Forest (England), on loan from Olympiacos (Greece)

Name: Nabil Ghilas

Date of Birth: 20/04/1990

Birthplace: Marseille (France)

Position: Striker

Caps: 4

Club: FC Porto (Portugal)