Aouar switches allegiance from France to Algeria / Photo: OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE - AFP
-
Rene Eyre Revisits Autobiographical Performance 'Say A Little Prayer' in London
-
London Museum Granted 24/7 License Ahead of November Opening
-
UAE's HCT Holds Record Graduation and Announces Major Training Expansion
-
Dana White Confirms Flight to Washington for Trump Meeting on Press Secretary Role
-
NASA Awards $10B Lunar Contract Framework to SpaceX, Blue Origin
-
Dengue Fever Expands Into High Himalayas as Climate Change Warms Nepal
-
Katy Perry Tells Fans Ex-Husband Russell Brand 'Should Be in Jail' During UK Concert
-
IoT Refrigerator Hacks Disrupt Blood Labs and Supermarkets Across Europe and US
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
-
CT scans reveal health and burial clues from Egypt’s Braided Lady mummy
-
British buyers pay substantial premiums for period-home appearance
-
Oxford faces complaints over lecturer’s classroom attire
-
Thomas Markle released to house arrest after child-abuse-image charge
-
Kyren Wilson and John Higgins reach International Championship snooker final
-
Dawn of War 4 developers chose Adeptus Mechanicus for tactical variety
-
New Zealand and Tonga meet for place in Rugby League World Cup final
-
Italy face unbeaten South Africa in Turin Nations Championship match
-
Reports of unsafe AI-toy responses renew calls for child-safety rules
Aouar switches allegiance from France to Algeria
Lyon's French-Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar, who has been capped once by France, said Thursday he was switching allegiance and will now play for Algeria.
The 24-year-old said the idea "was buzzing in my head" for a long time but the clincher came with an invite from Djahid Zefizef, the head of the Algerian football federation.
Despite having one cap for Les Bleus, Aouar said in a video aired by the Algerian football federation he had chosen to play for the Desert Warriors as "a large part of me is Algerian because of my origins and also the manner in which I have been brought up".
He said he initially rejected the idea for fear of being labelled an "opportunist" but then the Algerian coach and the head of Algerian football "extended a hand, which I saw as fate and a second chance so I seized it".
Aouar played once for France in a 2020 friendly match against Ukraine and has not received a call-up since then.
Because it was not a competitive game, he could switch to playing for Algeria, from where his parents hail.
"This selection means a lot to me, to my family, to my parents," he said, explaining that it was "a choice dictated by the heart".
P.M.Smith--AMWN
