A one-time France international is reportedly set to switch his allegiance to the Algeria national team.
Last year saw a number of European-born players opt to represent African nations. Ghana welcomed a few new faces ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as Inaki Williams and Taariq Lamptey joined the team despite both being born in Spain and England, respectively.
History shows that there have been a number of big-name African players who were born in France but decided on committing to their African lineage instead, including Riyad Mahrez, Kalidou Koulibaly, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Geoffrey Kondogbia.
More recent examples of this switch includes Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure, who chose Mali in 2022 and Brentford winger Bryan Mbuemo, who made his debut for Cameroon last year.
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It is now believed that yet another French-born star is set to follow a similar path. According to Foot Mercato, Olympique Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar is set to announce his availability for a call-up from The Desert Warriors.
The Algerian football federation is said to have been keeping tabs on the player and an announcement confirming his decision will be released soon.
The playmaker made one appearance for Les Bleus back in 2020 in an international friendly against Ukraine and he is now eligible for selection by Algeria, as both his parents are born in the North African nation.
The 24-year-old played in a couple of France youth teams, including the U17s and U21s but has struggled to establish himself in the senior team due to the strong competition in his central midfield position, which comprises the likes of N'Golo Kante, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga.
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