According to press sources, including the Algerian newspaper El Heddaf, player Saïd Benrahma of the Saudi club Neom has declined the invitation from the Algerian Football Federation to participate in the Arab Cup tournament to be held in Qatar.

According to "Al-Haddaf," the reason for the refusal is the player's desire to represent only the senior national team, expressing his lack of interest in playing for the reserve team or the team designated for the Arab Championship.

Benrahma's decision sparked widespread controversy in Algerian sports circles, especially since the team participating in the tournament includes local players and some professionals and is led by coach Majid Bougherra, the reigning champion.

Benrahma, who was 30 years old, previously played at the highest level, having played in England for both Brentford and West Ham United, and then in the French league with Olympique Lyonnais.