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AFCON 2023: Algeria's Coach Leaves After Disaster in Group Stage
Algeria's National Team coach, Djamel Belmadi, will leave his position following the team's elimination from AFCON 2023 after last night's defeat against Mauritania. The match, held at the Bouaké stadium in Ivory Coast, marked their exit from the competition.
Walid Sadi, the president of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), announced through social media that, after a meeting with Belmadi, they mutually agreed that it would be best for the now-former coach to step down.
According to the official news agency APS, citing an official source, Belmadi, in the position since 2018, wanted to bid farewell to each of his players after failing to secure Algeria's qualification for the Round of 16 in this competition, the second consecutive time following the 2021 edition in Cameroon.
The 47-year-old former player for Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, and Manchester, known for his strong connection to his home country, is expected to formalize his resignation upon returning to Algeria.
In a press conference held last night after the match against Mauritania, Belmadi, who began his coaching career with Qatar's Lakhwiya in 2011, stated that his fate would be decided immediately upon his return to Algeria in a meeting of the Technical Bureau of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF).
The Algerian national team secured only two points with two draws, the first against Angola (1-1) and the second against Burkina Faso (2-2).
With this result, Algeria, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations champion, finished in fourth and last place in the final standings of Group D behind Angola (7 points), Burkina Faso (4 points), and Mauritania (3 points).
Last night, dozens of angry fans invaded the residence of the North African team in Bouaké, demanding Belmadi's dismissal from Sadi.