Suspended in September, goalkeeper Luca Zidane hopes to return to the Fennecs in November, but head coach Brahim Hemdani is said to doubt his consistency, according to winwin. Alexis Guendouz and Alexandre Oukidja are being targeted for the squad.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper, who has 10 caps for the Fennecs, hopes to return to the national team during the next international break in November 2026, reports Afrik-Foot. However, his return would be far from automatic, according to winwin, relayed by the same site: head coach Brahim Hemdani is reportedly not convinced by his goalkeeper’s current level, which his staff deem too inconsistent.
The matter comes at a key moment. The Fennecs face Togo twice in the CAN 2027 qualifiers, on 14 November 2026 in Tizi Ouzou and then on 17 November 2026 in Lomé, during this break.
A suspension lifted, a return uncertain
The starting point dates back to September 2026. Luca Zidane had been suspended for the matches against Zambia (3-1) and Burundi (2-2), a sanction linked to his behaviour at the 2025 AFCON, according to Afrik-Foot. The lifting of that suspension does not amount to a green light, however: according to the same source, his return against Togo is absolutely not guaranteed.
A former CD Leganés player after the 2026 World Cup, the goalkeeper still hopes to return to the Fennecs in November, but the doubt now concerns his consistency, according to winwin.
Guendouz and Oukidja in the wings
To replace Zidane in the squad, two names are being targeted: Alexis Guendouz, a 30-year-old goalkeeper playing for JS Kabylie, and the veteran Alexandre Oukidja, 38, goalkeeper for ES Sétif. Both are in direct competition for the role of third-choice goalkeeper for the Fennecs.
The path is not straightforward, though: neither Guendouz nor Oukidja had been included in Brahim Hemdani’s first squad, and neither has been called up for a year or more, Afrik-Foot points out.
On the other hand, goalkeepers Melvin Mastil and Abdellatif Ramdane are strongly expected to be retained.
Togo, the first test
On 14 November in Tizi Ouzou, then on 17 November in Lomé, the Fennecs will play two CAN 2027 qualifiers. It is in this context that the question of Brahim Hemdani’s squad and Luca Zidane’s future with the national team will arise.
These details remain information reported by the press.