Mekideche Makes Move To Olympique Akbou

Halifax Wanderers defender Nassim Mekideche has left Canadian football – for now.

The 25-year-old centre-back has signed with Algerian top flight side Olympique Akbou, committing to a two-and-a-half-year deal in Akbou.

Mekideche’s new side has enjoyed a steep rise in Algerian football stature in recent years, earning five consecutive promotions to reach the country’s top flight in 2024, and it still remains in the top flight at present.

The six-foot-two defender made seventeen appearances for the Halifax Wanderers since joining in 2024, tallying three goals but enduring some injury struggles through Patrice Gheisar’s last campaign at the helm. Having had a fairly limited impact on the side’s backline, the club passed over its club option on him ahead of today’s move abroad.

Flashback: Mekideche On CPL, MLS, And What’s Next

He had played in Tunisia with US Monastir before his spell on Canada’s east coast, preceded by an MLS Next Pro chapter with Sporting Kansas City II and his prior CPL spell with now-defunct Valour FC.

Born in Laval, Quebec, he was thought to have been a possible target for Quebecois expansion side FC Supra, though his services will now be tendered abroad instead.

This won’t be Mekideche’s first time playing in Algeria: he started his career with a three-year spell with JS Kabylie, after which he earned a move to Tunisian side Hammam-Lif before he first tested himself in North America with a move to Winnipeg.

Halifax’s end-of-season roster update revealed that there are a number of players on club options for which it is unclear if Halifax has now triggered: defenders Jefferson Alphonse and Kareem Sow, midfielders Luka Juricic and Camilo Vasconcelos, forward Reshaun Walkes, and goalkeeper Rayane Yesli all had possible extensions for 2026.

With the expiry date of that choice now passed, it won’t be long until fans find out what’s next for the above.

The Halifax Wanderers have recently brought in a head-turning head coach in Vanni Sartini, with star CPL goalkeeper Marco Carducci arriving after seven seasons in Calgary, Alberta.

Photo Credit: Halifax Wanderers