Algeria have confirmed the coaching staff that will support new manager Brahim Hemdani, with former captain Anthar Yahia appointed as assistant and Nasredine Berarma retained as goalkeeping coach.
The Football Association of Algeria (FAF) has opted for an entirely Algerian coaching team after weeks of speculation about foreign candidates to replace Vladimir Petkovic. The decision reflects the country’s strong attachment to a national identity, although Hemdani’s limited experience at the highest level of coaching means the appointment will be closely scrutinised.
Yahia was the expected choice for the assistant’s position. The former Algeria captain had already been involved in the transition following Petkovic’s departure and will now form the main coaching partnership with Hemdani.
Nasser Daineche, a less familiar name to the wider public, has been appointed as fitness coach. Born in Martigues in 1982, the Franco-Algerian holds a UEFA A licence and has an important advantage in taking up the role: he already knows the national-team environment in detail.
Daineche joined Algeria’s senior set-up in 2021, working under Djamel Belmadi and also with Madjid Bougherra. He later worked with Algeria’s under-23 side before becoming head of performance at Al-Jazira in the United Arab Emirates.
He began his career with Martigues and also spent time with Polish club Olimpia Grudziadz. Daineche is from Martigues, in the Marseille area, and his previous experience with Algeria gives him a direct understanding of the players and the demands surrounding the national team.
Berarma represents the clearest link with the previous regime. He will remain in charge of the goalkeepers, making him the only member of Petkovic’s staff to stay in place.
Berarma’s appointment under Petkovic had partly been helped by his command of Italian. Based in Trento and educated in Italy, he was able to communicate directly with the Bosnia and Herzegovina-born coach in the language in which Petkovic was most comfortable. His retention following the manager’s departure suggests, however, that his contribution extended well beyond that linguistic connection.
Video analysts will also be part of the coaching structure, although the FAF has not released their names.
The staff may not yet be complete. Journalist Samir Kaabouche reports that a former Algeria international is expected to join the group from November, potentially adding further experience to Hemdani’s team.
For September, Algeria will therefore begin with the quartet of Hemdani, Yahia, Daineche and Berarma.
The new coaching team faces an immediate test. Algeria will host Zambia in Tizi Ouzou on 25 September before travelling to Burundi on 29 September to begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Before those competitive fixtures, Algeria will also play a friendly against Niger in Kabylie. That match will give Hemdani and his staff an opportunity to work with the squad for the first time in a match environment.
After relying heavily on foreign managers in recent years, the FAF is now committing to a 100% Algerian set-up. The experiment will attract considerable attention from the opening weeks of Hemdani’s reign, with the team’s first results set to shape early perceptions of the decision.