Algeria’s Football Federation (FAF) is reconsidering its plan to appoint a foreign manager, with Brahim Hemdani emerging as a possible permanent head coach less than three weeks before the next international break.
The FAF has yet to formally appoint a successor, despite several names being considered during its search. With no candidate having secured the federation’s approval, the governing body is now examining whether a home-grown solution could take charge of the national team.
Hemdani’s position has strengthened significantly after he guided Algeria’s Under-20 side to a gold medal at the Mediterranean Games, including a victory over Morocco.
The original plan was for Hemdani to work alongside Anthar Yahia during the international window if the federation had not appointed a new manager by then. Hemdani would have been officially registered as head coach because Yahia does not hold the required coaching qualification available to him.
However, Hemdani’s success with the young Algeria team is believed to have changed the thinking at the FAF. According to insider Imad Mostefai, the federation is seriously considering appointing Hemdani as head coach in his own right.
Under that proposal, Yahia would become Hemdani’s assistant, while Moussa Saib would take on the role of general manager. Hemdani would therefore be more than a nominal head coach and would have full authority within the dressing room as well as formal responsibility for the team.
The option is being studied as a possible alternative if Algeria’s efforts to appoint a Spanish or Portuguese manager fail by the middle of September. The FAF had previously extended its deadline for finding a new coach until 15 September.
A number of reports had earlier claimed that Roberto Martinez, who most recently managed Portugal, was highly interested in taking charge of Algeria. He was also reportedly prepared to lower his financial demands in order to make an agreement possible.
There had also been suggestions that negotiations with Gustavo Poyet had reached an advanced stage. The situation surrounding the Uruguayan has since become less certain, particularly because he does not come from the Iberian coaching tradition being prioritised by the FAF.
Algeria’s next appointment remains unresolved, but the federation’s latest thinking could see it abandon the search for an overseas coach and place its confidence in a figure who has recently delivered success with the country’s youth team.