"Decision is logical" – Manchester City player out of squad for being disrespectful

former Algeria manager Hemdani dropped Aït-Nouri from the squad for November's AFCON qualifiers after the Manchester City left-back refused to come off the bench and argued with staff during September's international break.

Rayan Aït-Nouri has been omitted from Algeria's squad for November's AFCON qualifiers against Togo after disciplinary issues during the last international break. The Manchester City left-back was unhappy when manager Brahim Hemdani selected Brighton's Jaouen Hadjam ahead of him in a 3-1 win over Zambia in September. When Hemdani attempted to bring Aït-Nouri on after Zambia equalised, the player refused to leave the bench and subsequently argued with coaching staff and teammates. He later withdrew from the camp.

Hemdani explained the decision, stating: "There are two essential conditions for making the Algerian national team: playing regularly for his club and respecting the clearly defined team structure." The manager has not permanently closed the door on Aït-Nouri but emphasised the need for him to earn regular minutes at club level and respect team discipline. At Manchester City, Aït-Nouri has struggled for playing time under Enzo Maresca, featuring just 168 minutes across four matches this season, with only 135 in the EFL Cup and no Premier League appearances.