While Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi announced in the mixed zone at the beginning of September that the change of sporting nationality of striker Amine Gouiri was “regulated from an administrative point of view”, the first cape of the OGC Nice player is still awaited. Nasser Sandjak, former coach of the Fennecs, came to the front to defend this choice and the difficulties of the process: “As someone who lives and works in France, I am sure that this pressure exerted on little Amine Gouiri is not due to chance. I think Didier Deschamps called Stade Rennais to dissuade the player from joining the ranks of Algeria. He’s a coach: when he wants a player, he has his own strategy to attract him to the Blues.estimated the former coach of JS Kabylie.
Before continuing: “We know the drill, as soon as Deschamps has his eye on a player, he uses all possible means to push him to join the France team. But as Amine Gouiri already has his Algerian passport, the French coach acted late, at least that’s what I think. You know, the French, they take players from other countries and then they throw them away! (…) The arrival of Gouiri will be beneficial for the national team. Rennes’ sporting director says the player didn’t tell him anything about it. Certainly (that) this leader sides with his country and seeks to please Didier Deschamps.”he added
