Ibrahim Hamdani appointed Algeria’s new national team coach, replacing Petković

Algeria has turned to former international Ibrahim Hamdani to lead its national team, replacing Swiss coach Vladimir Petković. The Algerian Football Federation made the appointment on Saturday, while state television reported that Hamdani will take charge of the senior side.

Hamdani is 48 and has limited coaching experience compared with his predecessors. The federation also decided to appoint an assistant coach, although the available report ends before naming that official.

Petković left the post after the federation ended his tenure at the beginning of August, despite having extended his contract through 2028. His time in charge included some positive results, notably leading Algeria to the World Cup knockout stage for only the second time in its history, after the 2014 edition. Algeria benefited from the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams.

The team’s performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco fell short of expectations. Algeria was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing 2-0 to Nigeria, a defeat that prompted criticism of the team’s performance.