New Blow for Algeria Ahead of AFCON as Paris FC Defender Samir Chergui Suffers Injury

Algeria's national team has suffered another setback ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, following the announcement of a hamstring injury to young defender Samir Chergui. The injury occurred during his club Paris FC's 4-2 loss to Lille in the French league, forcing the defender to leave the field in the 60th minute, according to French press reports.

Chergui's injury adds to a growing list of sidelined players for Algeria, following the absence of several key figures, including Amine Gouiri and Youcef Belaïli, during the recent training camp and friendly matches against Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia. This situation complicates Swiss coach Vladimir Petković's plans ahead of the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Morocco from December 21st to January 18th.

Samir Chergui is considered a vital component of Algeria's defense, capable of playing both as a center-back and a right-back. His potential absence before the AFCON would therefore be a significant blow to "The Greens."