FOOTBALL
Algeria appoint Djamel Belmadi as national team head coach
The former Algerian midfielder becomes the Desert Foxes’ sixth manager in two years.
The Algerian Football Federation (Faf) have appointed former international Djamel Belmadi as the new head coach of the national team.
Belmadi, 42, takes over from Rabah Madjer, who was fired in June following a spell of disappointing results.
According to Faf, Belmadi agreed a four-year contract that will run until the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
He joins Algeria from Qatari side Al-Duhail, whom he guided to two league titles.
Sixth coach in two years for Algeria
The former Manchester City and Olympique Marseille midfielder becomes the Desert Foxes’ sixth manager in two years.
Frenchman Christian Gourcuff, Serbian Milovan Rajevac, Belgian Georges Leekens, Spaniard Lucas Alcaraz and Algerian Madjer were Belmadi’s predecessors at the Desert Foxes.
His only previous experience at the helm of a national team was a 13-month stint as coach of Qatar between 2014 and 2015.
Belmadi’s immediate task will be to qualify Algeria for the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon. A qualifier against Gambia in September will be the former midfielder’s first competitive game as the Desert Foxes’ tactician.
As a player, Belmadi managed 20 caps for Algeria between 2000 and 2004, including a quarter-final place at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
His club career began at Paris Saint Germain, and included spells at Olympique Marseille, Celta de Vigo, Manchester City and Southampton.