Captain - Silya Magnana
This will be Silya Magnana’s second World Cup appearance as she was part of the Algeria team that finished 11th in the competition in 2011. The 24-year-old setter is one of the older members of the side competing in Japan. The Algerian squad of 20 players has an average age of only 20 years and six months. Magnana made her debut for the national team at the 2007 African Championship in Nairobi, Kenya. She was not selected for the London 2012 Olympic Games despite helping Algeria seal a place in the competition by winning the Olympic Qualification Tournament. Silya is now a mainstay in the national team after appearing for Algeria in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 World Grand Prix campaigns.
She graduated from the University of Aboudaou in Bejaia, Algeria. When she is not playing volleyball Silya enjoys playing the piano.
Star Player - Fatma Oukazi
Fatma Oukazi started practising volleyball at age 10. Previously she played football when she was growing up but switched to volleyball after watching a match at the Bejaia club.
She has played on the national team for 13 years, and is a veteran of three World Grand Prix campaigns, one World Championship, and one World Cup. Although the results at these international tournaments have not yielded any medals, as part of the Algeria team she won gold at the 2007 and 2011 All Africa Games and 2009 African Championships, where she was named Best Setter and Best Player. She was also voted Algeria's Best Female Athlete of 2014 in a survey carried out by Algeria Presse Service.
Her twin brother, Abozeed, is a professional tennis player. Family is clearly very important to Oukazi, as she has turned down several lucrative offers from foreign teams. "I love living with my family in Algeria. It's the main reason that made me refuse offers in France, the Netherlands and Poland. My family is the rock in my life and I have to live for them."
