Brahim Hemdani is expected to become Algeria’s new head coach, but his proposed promotion has already raised questions over his experience, international record and ability to manage two teams at the same time.
Algerian media are reporting that the Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has chosen Hemdani to work alongside Anthar Yahia as the leadership team for the national side’s opening Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers. Algeria are due to face Zambia and Burundi on 25 and 29 September respectively.
Hemdani, who holds the UEFA Pro Licence, would formally take the role of head coach, while Yahia would play a significant part despite still working towards his CAF A Licence. The arrangement could initially be temporary, with the results from those first two matches likely to determine whether the FAF keeps the structure in place or appoints a more established coach afterwards.
The decision comes soon after Hemdani led the Under-21 side to Algeria’s first gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in 51 years. That achievement has significantly enhanced the reputation of the 48-year-old, with his handling of the tournament and the development of his players strengthening the case for his promotion.
However, questions remain over whether that success alone justifies an immediate move to the senior team. Hemdani’s experience as a first-team manager is largely associated with Marignane-Gignac in the lower levels of French football, where he helped the club achieve promotion to the Championnat National.
Taking charge of Algeria would represent a major step up. The national team contains players competing in some of Europe’s leading leagues and operates under enormous public pressure, making the transition considerably more demanding than Hemdani’s previous senior coaching work.
His own history with Algeria is another source of debate. Hemdani did not make his international debut until 2008, when he was 30, and finished his career with only four caps. Samir Nasri recently said his former Marseille team-mate had given him a highly critical account of the national team’s situation when Nasri asked why Hemdani had not represented Algeria earlier.
Hemdani disputed that version of events, while acknowledging that he had chosen to join the national team late and saying he had no regrets. The public will judge those explanations for itself, but some Algeria supporters retain a strong memory of players who delayed or rejected the opportunity to represent the country. A poor start could bring the issue back into focus.
The most immediate concern, though, involves the Under-20 team, for which Hemdani officially remains responsible. His work with that group has only just begun, yet a major test is already approaching in the UNAF tournament in Egypt, which runs from 24 September to 6 October and serves as a qualifier for the Africa Cup of Nations Under-20 tournament.
Algeria will play Tunisia on 24 September, Libya on 27 September, Morocco on 30 September and Egypt on 6 October. During the same period, the senior team will host Zambia before travelling to Burundi.
The complete overlap between the two schedules had already been identified as the biggest obstacle to Hemdani taking an interim role with the senior side. Unless another coach is placed in charge of the younger team, he cannot continue the project he has only recently started. Disrupting a promising group for an interim appointment that may last just two matches is therefore open to question.
Those reservations do not amount to a verdict against Hemdani. He understands the internal workings of Algerian football, has the required qualification and has just shown that he can unite a squad in an international competition. There are also examples of coaches who reached the highest level without arriving with an impressive reputation.
The Algerian football environment, however, rarely gives coaches much time to learn on the job. Hemdani’s first matches with the senior team will show whether he is ready for the role, rather than simply benefiting from a successful spell at youth level. In a country where millions can claim to be national-team coaches, few appointments achieve universal approval. Hemdani begins with more questions to answer than many of his predecessors.