On Friday, the UAE national team announced a list of 26 players to face Honduras and Syria in a friendly match on the sidelines of an internal camp in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain during the period from the ninth to the 17th of November, as part of the preparation program for the upcoming matches, after the postponement of the Asian Football Cup.
The team will play its first friendly match against Honduras on November 13 at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, before concluding the camp by facing Syria on the 17 of the same month at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.
The two matches represent an important opportunity for the technical staff to test the players against two different football schools, which helps evaluate the team’s ability to deal with various playing styles and different competitive conditions, before the upcoming official matches.
The camp is part of the UAE national team’s preparation program for the Asian Cup Finals, which was postponed until the end of next year.
The Algerian coach of the Lebanese national football team, Madjid Bougherra, announced the list of players participating in the Basra International Friendly Championship, which brings together four teams: Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Palestine, and witnessed the call-up of striker Reda Khadra and goalkeeper Joseph Batrouni for the first time.
The summoning of Khadra (25 years old), a professional in the Azerbaijani ranks of Karabakh, came after efforts and contacts made by the Lebanese Football Association over a long period to convince him to represent the “Cedars” team, as part of Bougherra’s plan to build a young team capable of competing.
Khadra previously played with the German reserve team of Borussia Dortmund, before moving to England, where he defended the colors of Brighton, Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United, and Birmingham City. Then he had an experience in the French League with Reims and Le Havre, before joining Karabakh.
The list also included the presence of San Antonio's American goalkeeper, Joseph Petroni, who performed at remarkable levels this season, after keeping a clean sheet in ten matches.
Bougherra explained that the decision to participate in the tournament came with the aim of raising the level of challenge facing the players, saying: “The Federation and I decided to play this tournament with strong teams in Asia, because I believe that the time has come for the players to play matches at a higher level, which includes pressures of a different kind.”
Regarding the joining of Khadra and Batrouni, the Algerian coach said: “I spoke to Batrouni, and I saw how much he loves representing this country, and he is excited to play with us, just like Reda, who is considered a great player. After talking to him, I also felt that he was ready to join us.”
He added: “The importance of this matter to us revolves around the desire and passion to defend the colors of Lebanon, as much as the technical level that the player enjoys.”
Bougherra confirmed that the technical staff continues to follow up on local and professional players abroad, even while he is outside Lebanon, with the aim of selecting elements capable of providing an addition to the team, indicating that the work is not limited to the names currently called up.
He revealed that there is another list of players of Lebanese origin that the federation is working to attract, saying: “It is true that things are not easy, but we hope to announce to you more new players during the upcoming international break.”
The squad also witnessed the return of midfielder Hussein Munther to the national team after a long absence, in a move that reflects the technical staff’s tendency to expand its options and take advantage of the available elements.
The Lebanese national team will begin its participation in the tournament by facing Iraq at the “Palm Trunk” stadium in the semi-finals on November 13, while the Iranian and Palestinian national teams will meet in the second confrontation. The two winners qualify for the final match scheduled for April 17, while the two losers compete for third place.
Ibrahim Hamdani, Algeria's coach, on Thursday called up Mohamed Ezzi and Abderrahmane Rabache for the first time to the squad that will face Togo in the third and fourth rounds of the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.
Hamdani held a press conference in a hall attached to the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki, during which he announced the lineup that will face Togo at the Hussein Ait Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou on the 14th of this month, and then three days later in Lomé in the ninth group of qualifiers.
Hamdani, who took over the leadership of Algeria last September, succeeding Swiss Vladimir Petkovic after the World Cup, announced that CSKA Moscow defender Izzi and Spanish Alaves striker Rabbash would join the team for the first time.
Hamdani returned 5 players to the squad who had missed the last international break last September: goalkeeper Osama Ben Bout, defender Rafik Belghai, midfielders Hisham Boudawi and Yassine Titraoui, and striker Fares Ghejmis.
Hamdani defended his choices, saying in the press conference: “They are based on artistic motives only.” He added, "The camp, which starts next Monday and continues until the 17th of this month, is only his second."
