A Manchester City star returns home after leaving the national team camp!
Rayan Aït-Nouri has made an early exit from the Algeria national team's training camp, heading back to Manchester City. This move came as a direct call from the national team's head coach, Brahim Hemdani, in the wake of Algeria's 3-1 triumph over Zambia.
Anger over the coach's decisions
The root of the issue was an incident that got captured on video. Aït-Nouri didn't start the game — he was among the substitutes. When the second half began, the coaching staff sent him out to warm up. But once Zambia pulled level, they told the defender to cut his preparation short and sit back down on the bench. Then, after Algeria grabbed their second goal, they once again asked him to go warm up. This time, though, he wouldn't do what the coaches told him.
What makes this episode especially striking is the context surrounding the 25-year-old's standing at Manchester City. Across two appearances for the club this season, he has accumulated a mere 105 minutes of playing time. His outing in the Carabao Cup against Norwich City saw him named in the starting lineup, where he contributed two assists. In the Champions League, meanwhile, his involvement amounted to a 15-minute cameo during which he teed up Erling Haaland.