Nations Cup 2015: Ghana's AFCON opponents Algeria name Mehdi Abeid in squad

Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff has named Newcastle United's Mehdi Abeid in his squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.

The uncapped 22-year-old is one of five changes to the 23-man World Cup squad.
Abeid, who played for Algeria in Olympic qualifying in 2011, has played only three English Premier League games for Newcastle this season.

The Algerians are in Group C with Ghana, Senegal and South Africa for the 17 January to 8 February finals.

Algeria's games at the 2015 Nations Cup
19 January: v South Africa in Mongomo
23 January: v Ghana in Mongomo
27 January: v Senegal in Malabo

Coming into the squad along with Abeid are Ishak Belfodil, Foued Kadir, goalkeeper Doukha Izzeddine and Mehdi Zeffane.

The BBC African Footballer of the Year Yacine Brahimi has also been included, as well as veteran defender Majid Bougherra.

But goalkeeper Cedric Si Mohamed, Hassan Yebda and Nabil Ghilas have been left out by Gourcuff, despite having been part of the World Cup squad that reached the last-16 for the first time in Brazil last summer.

Liassine Cadamuro and Mehdi Mostefa, who were also part of that squad, have been named on a list of seven reserves.
Algeria squad:

Goalkeepers: Rais Mbolhi (Philadelphia Union, USA)), Doukha Izzeddine (JS Kabylie) Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche (USM Alger

Defenders: Essaid Belkalem (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Madjid Bougherra (Fujaira, UAE), Faouzi Ghoualm (Napoli, Italy), Rafik Halliche (SC Qatar, Qatar), Aissa Mandi (Stade Reims, France), Carl Medjani (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Djamel Mesbah (Sampdoria, Italy), Mehdi Zeffane (Lyon, France)

Midfielders: Nabil Bentaleb (Tottenham, England), Yacine Brahimi (Porto, Portugal), Medhi Lacen (Getafe, Spain), Saphir Taider (Sassuolo, Italy), Mehdi Abeid (Newcastle United, England), Foued Kadir (Real Betis, Spain)

Forwards: Abdelmoumene Djabou (Club Africain, Tunisia), Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia, Spain), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City, England), Islam Slimani (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Hilal Soudani (Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia), Ishak Belfodil (Parma, Italy)

Reserves: Liassine Cadamuro (Osasuna, Spain), Adlene Guedioura Adlane (Watford, England), Mehdi Mostefa (Lorient, France), Walid Mesloub (Lorient, France), Ryad Boudebouz (SC Bastia, France), Ahmed Kashi (Metz, France), Baghdad Bounedjah (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia)

Source/agooeast.com