A new and unexpected name has emerged to succeed the Swiss Vladimir Petković, who left his position as coach of the Algeria national football team, marking the end of a 29-month tenure. Petković took charge of Algeria in February 2024, leading the team to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. He also successfully qualified for the 2026 World Cup, before the Desert Warriors' journey ended with a 2-0 loss to Switzerland in the round of 32. The Portuguese coach Paulo Bento, former manager of Portugal and South Korea, has surprisingly emerged as a candidate to replace Petković. Reports have revealed that the Algerian Football Federation has officially offered the Portuguese coach, aged 57, a formal offer, pending his response in the coming days. The Algerian Football Federation is seeking to determine the identity of the new coach for the 'Green Devils' in the coming days. The Portuguese coach Paulo Bento has a wealth of experience, having managed the Portuguese national team between 2010 and 2014, leading them to the semifinals of the 2012 European Championship. He also participated in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with the Portuguese national team. Bento achieved a championship with the Korean national team in 2019, and reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In his last coaching stint, Bento managed the United Arab Emirates national team between 2023 and 2025. Bento is not the only candidate to coach Algeria, as the Spanish Rafael Benítez, the Portuguese José Peseiro, and the Spanish Roberto Martínez are also in the running.