Selected once for the France team, in October 2020, Houssem Aouar (24) decided to change selection and wear the Algeria jersey.
The image is now a thing of the past. On October 7, 2020, Houssem Aouar wore the France team jersey for the first and only time. Holder in the midfield, he had played an hour during the friendly match won against Ukraine at the Stade de France (7-1). But two and a half years later, the 24-year-old decided to give up the Blues and opt for the Algerian team. “This idea has been in my head for a very long time,” he said in a video released by the Algerian Football Federation, while expressing some regret.
“To be honest, after choosing the France team at the time, I felt regret. I felt that I had not made the choice that suited me personally,” he said. From now on, the midfielder of Olympique Lyonnais assumes his decision perfectly. “This selection represents a lot for me, for my family, for my parents, so it’s something very strong for me,” he said.
| Houssem Aouar:
“Algeria represents something very strong for me. I regretted having been in the France team. pic.twitter.com/AYvoakjXKg
— The Green Wave (@la_vagueverte) March 16, 2023
And to add: “There are some who will believe that it is a choice by default or opportunistic, but if it was a choice by default, I would not have done it now because I am only 24 years old . I still have more than ten years of career so if it was a default choice, honestly I could have waited until 27 or 28 years old. But no, not at all. It is not at all a choice by default, it is simply a choice of the heart”.
Houssem Aouar should be called up for the first time by Fennecs coach Djamel Belmadi, this Friday, for the double confrontation against Niger (March 23 and 27) and should make, on this occasion, his first appearance with the shirt of the Algeria on the shoulders.
