Goalkeeper Luca Zidane, a son of France football icon Zinedine Zidane, was named on Saturday in the Algeria squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on December 21 in Morocco.

The 27-year-old plays for Spanish second-tier club Granada and represented France at youth level before switching his international allegiance to Algeria.

He debuted for Algeria in a World Cup qualifier against Uganda two months ago and is one of three goalkeepers chosen. The others are Oussama Benbot from USM Alger and Anthony Mandrea of Caen.

Speaking after his debut, Zidane said: “It is an honour for me, and I will give 100% to make the Algerian people proud.”

“I’m sure the players will arrive highly motivated and ready to play in this AFCON,” said Algeria coach and former Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic after announcing the squad.

“The main objective is to get past the first round… with the ambition to go as far as possible in the tournament.”

Algeria start their Group E campaign against Sudan on December 24, then face Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea.

Group winners and runners-up automatically qualify for the round of 16. The best four of the six third-placed nations also advance to the knockout stage.

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw selected six Premier League players in his squad for the AFCON, where they face Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin in Group D.

They are defender El Hadji Diouf (West Ham), midfielders Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham) and Habib Diarra (Sunderland) and forwards Iliman Ndiaye (Everton) and Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace).