Algiers, Dakar: West Ham midfielder Sofiane Feghouli and defender Carl Medjani have been dropped as new Algeria coach Georges Leekens unveiled his 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Feghouli has scored 11 goals in 42 appearances for Algeria including a goal in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil which helped his country advance to the last 16.
The 27-year-old, a reported target by French club Marseille, has however played a peripheral role for West Ham since his arrival in England last summer.
Medjani, 31, who has 54 caps and plays in Spain for Leganes, is absent for the first time since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Leekens’ forward line includes strikers Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani — winners of the English Premier League title with Leicester — and Dinamo Zagreb’s Hillal El Arabi Soudani, the top scorer in Cup qualifiers with seven goals in six matches.
The Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Gabon from January 14 to February 5 with Algeria — the 1990 winners — in a tough group alongside Tunisia, Senegal and Zimbabwe.
Senegal restored experienced defender Cheikh Mbengue and striker Moussa Sow to their 23-man squad unveiled on Sunday. The pair had missed November’s World Cup qualifier in South Africa but both return to participate at their third Nations Cup tournament.
Henri Saviet of St Etienne was also recalled by coach Aliou Cisse for the three-week tournament where Senegal play in Group B against Algeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.
The squad includes 12 players who competed at the last Nations Cup finals in Equatorial Guinea, where Senegal failed to get past the first round despite being one of the pre-tournament favourites.
Senegal open their campaign in Franceville on January 15 against Tunisia in Franceville.
