World Cup 2026 qualifiers: Aïssa Mandi sets record with Algeria

It's now official, Aïssa Mandi is the new record holder for appearances with the Algerian national football team.

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By playing the match against Botswana for the 5th round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, the Lille player brought his number of matches with the Fennecs to 103.

He thus surpasses the historic striker Islam Slimani, who has 102 caps with the Algerian team. An international since 2014, the former Villarreal player has scored 6 goals and provided 3 assists.

For more than a decade, Aïssa Mandi has earned the trust of the majority of Algeria's coaches, including notably Djamel Belmadi and Vladimir Petkovic.

Moreover, he was one of the key figures in the Fennecs' triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2025) held in Egypt.

In the current season, he has participated in 26 matches with LOSC Lille, across all competitions, without scoring a single goal or providing an assist.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.