An Academy Player from the FAF Declines Petkovic's Invitation!

The young Mohamed Omar Rafik (21 years old), currently playing for Al-Shamal club in Qatar, has decided not to join the Algerian national team, the Fennecs, despite the invitation extended to him by the national coach, Vladimir Petkovic.

According to information reported by the daily El Khabar, the teammate of Baghdad Bounedjah at the Qatari club has informed the officials of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) of his desire not to represent Algeria in the future, asking them not to call him up again.

Mohamed Rafik Omar Chooses Qatar Over the Greens

Omar Rafik, born on January 10, 2004, was part of the extended list of fifty players selected for the upcoming preparatory camp of the Greens, ahead of matches against Botswana and Mozambique, which count for the fifth and sixth days of the African qualifications for the 2026 World Cup.

The refusal of the former member of the FAF Academy to respond positively to Petkovic's call has sent shockwaves among the national team's fans, especially since Mohamed Omar Rafik is one of the most promising talents in Algerian football. He has excelled in youth categories and can play in multiple offensive positions, particularly on the right and left wings as well as an attacking midfielder.

This decision also seems linked to his transfer to Qatar, where he has played for five seasons. This commitment to Qatari clubs is reportedly aimed at facilitating the acquisition of Qatari nationality, thus allowing the player to change his sporting nationality from Algerian to Qatari.

To recall, Mohamed Omar Rafik has played 21 matches this season with Al-Shamal across all competitions, scoring 6 goals and providing 3 assists.

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.