Ibrahim Hamdani is close to taking over as head coach of the Algeria national football team, succeeding current manager Vladimir Petkovic. This comes from a report published by Ultra Algeria this week, as the Greens struggle in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The team currently sits third in their World Cup qualifying group, with just 4 points from 3 games, having scored 5 goals and conceded 7. These results leave them 5 points behind group leaders Argentina, following a recent 2-0 loss to Switzerland on July 3rd. The full group standings can be viewed on our standings page.
Ibrahim Hamdani is an Algerian football coach, described in the Ultra Algeria report as moving "from the gold of the Mediterranean to the Greens." This allusion points to a coaching career that included success with teams in the Mediterranean region before emerging as the leading candidate for the national team job. The report did not specify contract details or a final appointment date, but it confirms talks are advancing with Hamdani as the frontrunner.
Talk of a managerial change comes at a critical time for the national side. The team's form in its last five matches has been disappointing, with two losses, two draws, and only one win. This poor run of form, a sequence of loss-loss-draw-draw-win, increases pressure on the Algerian Football Federation to make a swift change. Defensive performance needs urgent improvement, especially with a negative goal difference (-2) in qualifying so far.
Regardless of who the new coach is, the immediate focus will be on getting the qualifying campaign back on track. The task will not be easy and requires tactical and mental stability from the players. Fans can check the list of players available to the incoming manager on our squad page. The next result will be key to see if the change in technical leadership translates to positive results on the pitch.
The original report was published by Ultra Algeria, a specialized sports news outlet. No further financial details or potential contract length were disclosed at this stage. The Algeria national team will play its next 2026 World Cup qualifier in the coming weeks, and all upcoming match dates can be found on our fixtures page.
