Amine Ghimouz has selected Olympique de Marseille academy players Ivan Guemdani and Kenzo Brignone for Algeria Under-17s’ pre-World Cup training camp.
Goalkeeper Guemdani, 16, was introduced in late March, while central defender Brignone, also 16, has received his first international call-up since joining Marseille from Nice this summer.
Brignone, born in November 2009, is regarded as one of the promising young defenders at the club. He is known for his power, ability in one-on-one duels and quality when playing out from the back.
The teenager has already been playing above his age group with Marseille’s youth teams. He has started all three of the club’s matches in the French Under-19 Championship this season, making three appearances in total.
His inclusion in Ghimouz’s squad represents an early step in an international career that could still take more than one direction. Brignone is eligible to represent France, but he has not yet been selected by the French national teams.
For now, his involvement with Algeria is viewed as an encouraging indication of his international preference. However, he will still have to confirm his decision in the future if he is to represent Algeria’s senior side.
Algeria Under-17s will use the next international window to compete in a friendly tournament in Croatia. Their programme begins against Saudi Arabia on 26 September, before they face hosts Croatia three days later on 29 September.
Ghimouz’s team will then play Hungary on 2 October and Qatar on 5 October, completing the four-match tournament.
Those fixtures form part of Algeria’s preparation for the Under-17 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar in November 2026. Algeria have been drawn in Group J, where they will meet the United States, Montenegro and Chile in the group stage.
The tournament will mark Algeria’s second appearance at the Under-17 World Cup. Their previous participation came in 2009.
Brignone’s call-up gives Marseille another representative in Algeria’s youth set-up, alongside Guemdani, as the North African side begin preparations for their return to the global Under-17 competition.
Both players will now have the opportunity to strengthen their claims during the Croatian tournament, while Brignone’s first involvement with Algeria will be closely watched given his eligibility for France and his progress in Marseille’s Under-19 team.