Contract, duration, expectations: what the FAF hopes for from Brahim Hemdani

The debate has not ceased since the official announcement of his arrival on the bench of the Greens. Brahim Hemdani is indeed linked to the Algerian Football Federation by a contract. The idea of a simple trial, mentioned here and there in recent hours, does not correspond to the administrative reality of his appointment.

The confusion arises from a term. The statement from the Federal Bureau mentions a head of the senior national team and not a strict appointment. The explanation is technical: the former midfielder of Olympique de Marseille was already contractually engaged with the under-20 team. His entry into the senior team thus constitutes an internal promotion, with his initial contract serving as the legal basis for his new role.

Hemdani accepted the mission unconditionally

The meeting with the president of the FAF does not seem to have revolved around numbers. According to the media outlet “Winwin”, the coach did not demand any particular guarantees and did not seek to negotiate his salary. This attitude contrasts with the lengthy discussions held since the summer with several foreign coaches.

Before making a decision, the Dely Brahim body explored many external options, until the FAF ultimately decided against hiring a foreign coach in favor of a profile from within the Algerian ranks. The former captain of OM and Glasgow Rangers, holder of the UEFA Pro license, presented himself as a “soldier” at the service of the Fennecs, without any prior demands.

His assistant shares the same mindset. The enthusiasm of Antar Yahia, whose name had already been circulating as a future head of the national staff since July, impressed the officials present at this meeting. The two men reportedly expressed high ambitions for this new cycle.

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A commitment until CAN 2027

The duration of the mission is now established. It extends until CAN 2027, which will take place in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, according to the same source. Concretely, this represents three training camps and six qualifying matches, not to mention the friendly match against Niger scheduled for October 6.

The first test arrives quickly. Ibrahim Maza's teammates will face Zambia and then Burundi before the end of the month, as part of the qualifiers. These two matches will provide an initial indication of the coach's choices, whose appointment to lead the Greens was validated on Saturday at the Technical Center of Sidi Moussa.

Semifinals as the objective

The expectations are clearly stated. Again according to the media outlet “Winwin”, the FAF expects better than the performance achieved during the 2025 edition, which sets the bar at a minimum of reaching the semifinals. This goal is deemed reasonable given the pool of talent currently available to the team.

However, the challenge remains ambitious. Brahim Hemdani has never managed a team at this level, although his recent success at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto weighed in the federal decision. Between his legitimacy as a player and his lack of experience at the head of a senior team, the coach is walking a tightrope that the results in September will quickly clarify.

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