Algeria Sack Belmadi After Disappointing Nations Cup Exit

Algeria have sacked head coach Djamel Belmadi following an embarrassing group stage exit at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

The 2019 champions crashed out of the competition with just one point from three games to finish bottom of Group D.

They drew their first two matches against Angola and Burkina Faso before losing 1-0 to Mauritania on Tuesday, when they needed just a point to advance.

Belmadi has paid the price for another poor showing in the Nations Cup. He was also in charge of the team that failed to make it out of the group stage in the 2022 edition in Cameroon.

Algerian football federation president, Walid Sadi confirmed his dismissal on his X account on Wednesday evening.

He wrote: “I met national coach Djamel Belmadi to discuss the implications of this bitter elimination, and we came to an amicable agreement to end our relationship and to terminate his contract.

“We thank Djamel for everything he did for the team and wish him good luck in the rest of his career.

“We apologise to the fans of the national team and the Algerian people after we worked hard and provided ideal conditions for our players to shine.”

Belmadi is now the third coach to be fired after the first round in Ivory Coast, joining the likes of Chris Hughton and Jean-Louis Gasset in the coaching market.

Belmadi was appointed as the coach of Algeria in August 2018 and he led them to the Nations Cup trophy in 2019.

He took charge of the team 64 times, recorded 41 wins, 17 draws and six defeats with a 64.1 win percentage.