Algeria names Zinedine Zidanes son in AFCON team

Luca Zidane, the goalkeeper and son of French football legend Zinedine Zidane, has been selected for Algerias squad at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, set to begin on December 21 in Morocco.

This 27 year old athlete currently features for Granada in Spains second division and previously played for Frances youth teams prior to changing his international commitment to Algeria.

He made his first appearance for Algeria during a World Cup qualifying match against Uganda about two months back and joins two other goalkeepers in the lineup, namely Oussama Benbot of USM Alger and Anthony Mandrea from Caen.

Following his initial outing, Zidane commented: It is an honour for me, and I will give 100 percent to make the Algerian people proud.

Algerias coach, Vladimir Petkovic, who once led Switzerland, stated after revealing the team: Im sure the players will arrive highly motivated and ready to compete in this AFCON.

The primary goal is to advance beyond the opening stage, with aspirations to progress as deeply as feasible in the competition.

Algeria will launch their Group E fixtures against Sudan on December 24, followed by encounters with Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea.

The top two teams from each group proceed directly to the last 16, alongside the four strongest third placed sides from the six groups.

Senegal manager Pape Thiaw has included six players from the Premier League in his AFCON roster, as they prepare for Group D opponents Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Benin.

These include defender El Hadji Diouf at West Ham, midfielders Idrissa Gueye of Everton, Pape Matar Sarr from Tottenham, and Habib Diarra playing for Sunderland, plus attackers Iliman Ndiaye at Everton and Ismaïla Sarr with Crystal Palace.

We rank among the favourites and embrace that status. I seek a commanding performance from the team, remarked Thiaw, a member of the Senegal side that made the 2002 World Cup quarter finals.

Squads

Algeria

Goalkeepers: Luca Zidane (Granada/ESP), Oussama Benbot (USM Alger), Anthony Mandrea (Caen/FRA)

Defenders: Rafik Belghali (Verona/ITA), Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City/ENG), Youcef Atal (Al-Sadd/QAT), Mehdi Dorval (Bari/ITA), Jaouen Hadjam (Young Boys/SUI), Zinedine Belaid (JS Kabylie), Ramy Bensebaïni (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Samir Chergui (Paris FC/FRA), Aïssa Mandi (Lille/FRA), Mohamed Tougai (Esperance/TUN)

Midfielders: Ismael Bennacer (Dinamo Zagreb/CRO), Rami Zerrouki (Twente/NED), Adam Zorgan (Union Saint-Gilloise/BEL), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice/FRA), Houssem Aouar (Al-Ittihad/KSA), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Fares Chaibi (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER)

Forwards: Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg/GER), Ilan Kebbal (Paris FC/FRA), Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli/KSA), Anis Hadj Moussa (Feyenoord/NED), Adil Boulbina (Al-Duhail/QAT), Monsef Bakrar (Dinamo Zagreb/CRO), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al-Shamal/QAT), Redouane Barkane (Al-Wakrah/QAT)

Senegal

Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahly/KSA), Mory Diaw (Le Havre/FRA), Yehvann Diouf (Nice/FRA)

Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal/KSA), Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa/ISR), Moussa Niakhate (Lyon/FRA), Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray/TUR), Mamadou Sarr (Strasbourg/FRA), Antoine Mendy (Nice/FRA), Ilay Camara (Anderlecht/BEL), El Hadji Diouf (West Ham/ENG), Krepin Diatta (Monaco/FRA)

Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (Everton/ENG), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham/ENG), Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano/ESP), Pape Gueye (Villarreal/ESP), Lamine Camara (Monaco/FRA), Habib Diarra (Sunderland/ENG)

Forwards: Sadio Mane (Al Nassr/RSA), Boulaye Dia (Lazio/ITA), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich/GER), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton/ENG), Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace/ENG), Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor/TUR), Cheikh Sabaly (Metz/FRA), Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Habib Diallo (Metz/FRA), Assane Diao (Como/ITA)