Walid Sadi, President of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), was hoping to appoint Djamel Belmadi's successor as coach of the Fennecs later this week. However, at the end of the FAF's Federal Bureau meeting, held in Algiers on Wednesday February 21, the FAF president hinted that he would give himself another week to find a coach.
For several days, the Algerian press had been announcing the imminent signing of Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, currently available, followed by that of his compatriot José Peseiro, whose contract with Nigeria expires on February 28 but who could finally extend, and finally the Swiss of Croatian and Bosnian origin Vladimir Petkovic, also on the market. The FAF had even offered the former Switzerland coach a monthly salary of 120,000 euros, but the technician, who had been approached by China, where he would earn more, declined, at least for the time being.
Some Algerian media then mentioned the appointment of Rabah Saâdane (77), the former Algerian coach, as interim coach for the March friendlies against Bolivia (March 22) and South Africa (March 26), but this rumour appears to be totally unfounded. Walid Sadi will therefore continue his search, with the aim of announcing the identity of the Fennecs' new technical boss in a few days' time.
