FAF: Another former international player joins the National Technical Directorate!

Sep 23, 2026

For the past year, we have observed a rejuvenation of the coaching staff for Algeria's youth teams with the incorporation of several former internationals.

This movement began with the appointment of Karim Ziani (44 years old) as head coach of the U16 team, which has now become U17B. The former OM player started his coaching journey with Aubervillers in 2015 while he was without a club, before transitioning in 2019 with Orléans.

He briefly held the position of sporting director at JSK, before obtaining the CAF A diploma in 2024, and then joining the DTN in 2025. He chose his former national teammate Hocine Metref (42 years old), who also obtained his CAF diploma the same year, as his assistant.

Within the U17 team, we find the experienced Amine Ghimouz (52 years old), a teacher and instructor, holder of the CAF Pro since 2024, who previously managed the U20 team in 2007! He selected former striker Sofiane Younes to assist him.

Sofiane Younes (43 years old) began his transition in Algeria but preferred to settle in France, where he obtained the UEFA A license. He has managed youth teams, ultimately joining the DTN as well.

For the U23s, there is Rafik Saifi (51 years old), who started as an assistant at Mouloudia d'Alger between 2017 and 2019 alongside Bernard Casoni and Adel Amrouche. Long a consultant on beIN Sports in Qatar, he obtained the AFC Pro in 2025 there.

He recently appointed former USMA playmaker Azzedine Rahim (54 years old) as his assistant, who served as assistant coach for the red and black from 2018 to 2022 before leading his first team, NC Magra, in Ligue 1.

Finally, in the U20s, Hocine El Orfi (39 years old) was an assistant to Rezik Nedder (39 years old) for a year, then briefly to Brzhim Hemdani (48 years old) with the U21s at the Mediterranean Games, which he won, and was named head coach.

In turn, he chose Yacine Bezzaz (45 years old) as his assistant, the former striker of Strasbourg and Valenciennes who recently obtained the CAF A. After a brief experience as sporting director at CS Constantine, he also became a coach.

DZfoot