The president of the Algerian Football Federation, Walid Sadi, recently met with the national team coach, Vladimir Petković, to discuss the situation following his first two official matches in charge of the “Fennecs”.
These matches were part of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in Africa, where Algeria suffered a home defeat against Guinea (1-2) and secured a victory in Kampala against Uganda (2-1), placing them at the top of Group G with 9 points, tied with Mozambique.
The performances against Guinea and Uganda fell short of expectations, especially after the positive impressions left in March during friendly matches against Bolivia (3-2) and South Africa (3-3). At that time, supporters had praised Petković’s tactical choices.
However, criticism arose after the recent matches, with fans, analysts, and media reproaching Petković for his “incomprehensible tactical choices” and “strange playing system”. These negative reactions were exacerbated by calls for the return of former coach Djamel Belmadi, particularly after the defeat against Guinea.
During the meeting with Petković, Sadi expressed his full support for the Swiss coach despite the criticism. He congratulated Petković for the victory against Uganda and reiterated his confidence in his working methods. Sadi emphasized the importance of focusing on upcoming challenges, especially the qualifications for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Petković, aware of the team’s shortcomings, committed to addressing these weaknesses and considering strengthening the team with new players for the upcoming challenges. He has several months to prepare the team before the resumption of qualifiers in September and next March.
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