In the absence of the suspended Luca Zidane, goalkeeper Melvin Mastil stepped into the number-one role for the Algeria national team, failing to secure a clean sheet across matches against Zambia and Burundi while conceding three goals in two outings. The Lausanne-Sport player failed to present guarantees regarding his ability to guard the Algerian goal in the future.
Prior to these matches, Mastil experienced two quiet friendly tests against Guatemala, where he played a full match, and Bolivia, where he played 45 minutes without conceding goals. However, he proved less watertight when the encounters carried genuine stakes. Having traveled to the 2026 World Cup under Vladimir Petkovic, he emerged as the primary recourse following the defection of Luca Zidane for administrative reasons. Brahim Hemdani and Anthar Yahia opted to start the Lausanne goalkeeper over Abdellatif Ramdane and Kilian Belazzoug.
Defensive Vulnerabilities and Positioning Issues
Mastil ultimately failed to convince during his opportunities. On Tuesday, his positioning was incorrect during a goal against his own camp by Chaïbi. While the midfielder received the ball with his back to the game and felt pressured during the restart, Mastil never offered a backward solution, remaining frozen near his penalty area. His distribution was average; against Zambia, he completely sliced a clearance without control following a pass from Hadjam.
Future Outlook for the Goalkeeper Position
Despite possessing the required physical stature with a height of 1m94, the last line of defense displayed noticeable weaknesses without remarkable strengths, raising doubts about whether he is cut out for the position. Following these performances, Ramdane is expected to receive his chance against Niger in an upcoming friendly scheduled for October 6.
Worth a look
