Algeria, cradle of great footballers
The two pearls of Algerian descent from Olympique de Lyon that stand out today have names: Rayan Cherki and Houssem Aouar.
Rayan Cherki, a Frenchman of Algerian descent, plays as a striker. At only 16 years old, he is one of the great sensations in France. There are several giants of Europe who are sighing for his signing.
He made his debut in an official match with the Lyon first team in October 2019. In a cup match against Nantes it was his first exhibition. In just 37 minutes he scored two goals and signed an assist leaving the tie more than on track before the break (1-3).
A daring player, he is always on the ball and it is difficult to stop him without needing it. His dribbles are like those of indoor football, but very effective in eleven-a-side football. In front of goal he is also very successful. He may abuse dribbling, but that is the coach's job to teach him how to choose the right situations. The kind of player that any team needs to break down defences.
He became the youngest player to play in a Champions League semi-final this year at the age of 17 years and two days. He left great flashes and had a chance to score.
He is a big fan of Real Madrid CF and Karim Benzema; but we all know that these things are forgotten when another big one comes and knocks on your door. Like Iniesta or Morata, for example. The one from Albacete was a fan of Real Madrid and then a legend of FC Barcelona, and the Madrid native was a fan of Atlético, then played for Real Madrid and recently returned to his childhood team.
Another type of player, but also a good dribbler, is Houssem Aouar. At 22 years of age, he has settled in Lyon's midfield for the last three seasons. He does not hesitate to join the attack from the left-handed profile.
He has scored 24 goals and 23 assists and has dazzled in the French league and in the Champions League, being the captain of the team. He is a dribbler, a comeback player, an arriviste, very disciplined in defence and with great physical waste.
Unlike Cherki, Aouar is a ready-made player to join a top-level European team. He stood out in the quarter-final round in which the French team eliminated City. Against Bayern he was not seen much, although he was one of the few who took responsibility and kept trying until the end. The Bavarian squad was too much for the young Olympique team.
For the time being he has played in the French under 21 team, so he could still be included in the Algerian team. It would be unlikely as there is talk of him moving to Juventus immediately. Real Madrid also showed interest in him. Being part of one of the leading teams in Europe will make it easier for him to be included in the French team.
What is certain is that Algerian youth football continues to bear fruit. Let us not forget other players of Algerian descent who have succeeded in Europe and the world. The best known are Madrid's Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema (both of Algerian parents) and PSG's Kylian Mbappé (of a Cameroonian father and Algerian mother). There are also: Samir Nasri, Riyad Mahrez, Nabil Fekir, Brahimi, Atal, etc.
Both players were born in France, played in the lower divisions of the French national team and are playing for Olympique Lyon. It is difficult for them to accept to play with the Algerian national team. A pity because, if you add Mahrez (Manchester City), Ismaël Bennacer (AC Milan), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray), Islam Slimani (Leicester City), Aïssa Mandi (Betis) and others from the French League, they would make a great team. They already won the last African Cup, but could aspire to a very good World Cup.
Let's hope that these players are not like so many others who, because they played for a great team like France, Spain or Germany at the height of their career, or even in their early days, then are not called up again and lose the chance to play in continental or even world competitions. These players, who may or may not be called up to these great teams, would be the stars in their home teams, as in the case of Mahrez with Algeria.
An Algerian forward with Mahrez, Benzema and Mbappé would be unimaginable. It would probably be one of the best in the world. This is not the case because both the Madrid player and the Parisian player have already played with the French national team, but Mahrez would probably have it much more difficult in France and would not appear in many calls.
The closest and most incomprehensible case is Sevilla FC's Munir El Haddadi forward. He could not return to the Moroccan national team because he played for the Spanish team for 13 minutes in September 2014 while he was 19.
Great talents who can stay out of their national teams and the showcase that a World Cup, European Cup, African Cup, American Cup, etc. represents. After all, depriving the spectators of the talent of good footballers and reducing the spectacle.