Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja has announced his retirement from international football with Algeria.
Born in France to an Algerian father and a French mother, the goalkeeper made his Algeria debut in March 2019 during a friendly game against Tunisia and he played six games for the North African country in five years.
Oukidja was part of the Desert Foxes’ team that lifted the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title in Egypt.
His last appearance for Algeria came in their 4-0 thrashing of Djibouti in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in November 2021.
Oukidha said in a YouTube video: “You have to know when to stop. I don’t stop because I feel like it, but it’s also for my health.
“When you are a player, you have to be efficient. Algeria is an important link for me with my family, with my father and my grandfather who are Algerians. So it was essential for me to defend the jersey and my country.
“I would like to thank Djamel Belmadi who trusted me for 6 years. Thanks to the technical staff, to all those who work around the players.”
The 34-year-old recently powered Metz to the French Ligue 1 with his brilliance between the sticks, as he kept 16 clean sheets in 34 Ligue 2 matches.
