“The federal board has tasked Mr. HEMDANI Brahim with leading the senior national team in preparation for upcoming international sporting challenges,” announced the FAF, further specifying that “Mr. HEMDANI Brahim will be joined by Yahia Anthar as assistant coach; Daineche Nacer as fitness trainer; and Berarma Nasredine as goalkeeper coach.”
It was through these few lines, buried in the middle of a lengthy report on federal board operations, that the FAF announced the appointment of Brahim Hemdani as manager, replacing Vladimir Petkovic, who was dismissed from his duties on August 1st.
Based on the terms used by the governing body, Hemdani has essentially been handed an interim mission. If the FAF saw no need to detail the new manager’s contract for now, it is simply because he has not yet signed one. Sources reveal that this formality will be wrapped up shortly. However, the FAF has already framed the guidelines for its new partnership with Hemdani. He will sign a one-year deal running through AFCON 2027. His future will depend on results achieved over the coming weeks and months, as Hemdani made no attempt to negotiate. Hence the term “tasked” employed by the federation. Already under contract with the governing body, Hemdani was effectively promoted following his achievements at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto.
Brahim Hemdani and Anthar Yahia now understand the scope of their commitment with the national squad. According to Gazette du Fennec, the new head coach will earn a monthly salary between 25,000 and 30,000 euros.
Both men are tied to the Algerian Football Federation until the end of AFCON 2027. This one-year term comes with explicit targets, notably reaching the semifinals of the continental tournament—the exact same objective assigned to Petkovic.
Should they fall short, Hemdani and Anthar Yahia would exit their roles without receiving severance compensation. Conversely, qualifying for the final four would unlock a one-year extension through the end of AFCON 2028. The best-case scenario would pave the way for a much longer term. Winning AFCON and securing World Cup qualification would automatically extend their contracts through the 2030 World Cup, with salaries for that renewed period subject to fresh negotiations.
A scouting operation initiated back in August by Anthar Yahia was immediately approved upon Brahim Hemdani’s formal appointment at the helm. While this initial expanded squad list sets the baseline for the team’s new technical framework, the decisive deadline approaches, and the duo must trim the selection down to 26 players in the coming days. The coaching staff will continue their European tour to meet with several candidates before locking in the final roster. This streamlined squad will then tackle September’s fixtures, hosting Zambia on the 25th in Tizi Ouzou, visiting Burundi on the 29th, and facing Niger in an early October friendly.
=====Hemdani and Yahia Already at Work
Just twenty-four hours after taking charge of the national team, Brahim Hemdani lost no time getting down to business. Alongside assistant Anthar Yahia, the new manager launched a European scouting trip to evaluate several prospective and established players ahead of this month’s FIFA international window. First stop: the Velodrome. This choice was far from coincidental for Hemdani, a former Marseille captain thoroughly familiar with the stadium and its distinct atmosphere. Yet the former Marseille star was not there to reminisce. Seated in the stands beside Anthar Yahia, his focus remained strictly on the pitch. During the match between Olympique de Marseille and Paris FC, the new staff conducted a real-time player review. Key targets under close observation included Himad Abdelli and Amine Gouiri for Marseille, alongside Ilan Kebbal and Samir Chergui for the opposing side. This presence at the Velodrome marks the new manager’s first concrete move. Freshly appointed, Hemdani wants a clear gauge of their current form before finalizing his first squad list, expected by mid-September.