By Kalumiana Kalumiana
Ex-Chipolopolo Zambia coach Patrice Beaumelle has given his appraisal as to why 2027 AFCON Group I qualifier opponents Algeria have hired their former internationals Brahim Hemdani and Anthar Yahia as their new national team coaching duo.
Hemandi and Yahia’s first competitive game will be against guests Chipolopolo in their Group I opener to be played on September 25 in Tizi-Ouzou.
Former midfielder Hemdani was appointed new Algeria head coach on September 5 together with ex-defender Yahia as his assistant in an appointment widely viewed by local Algerian media as that of equals.
Hemandi and Yahia’s contact is up to the end of the 2027 AFCON where the brief for the bench is to reach the semifinal for their contract to be renewed.
They take over from the vastly- experienced Bosnian Vladimir Petkovic, who guided the Fennecs to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Petkovic previously guided Switzerland to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the last 16, and two Euros, where the team reached the last 16 in 2016 and the 2020 quarterfinals.
Beaumelle told Revelation Sports in an interview yesterday that he believes Hemdani and Yahia’s appointment was to help left Algeria’s character after a disappointing 2026 FIFA World Cup when the team laboured but still managed to push for a last 32 exit.
Algeria is very familiar territory to Beaumelle, where he coached MC Alger and won the 2023/2024 Algerian Ligue 1 title.
”About Hemdani, the new head coach of the Fennecs of Algeria, he was appointed a couple of days ago. His first assistant is Anthar Yahia and he is a former captain of the Fennecs as well. So yes, I think after getting a foreigner as coach, I think Algeria wants to build up an Algerian spirit. I think Algeria has a very, very good team, good players, and young players with a lot of potential. It’s one of the best teams in Africa,” Beaumelle said.
”About the staff, I think they want to collaborate together to bring back the Algerian spirit. You know, Mr Hemdani and Anthar, they have been playing with the national team in the past, and they did well.”
Both are French-born, with Yahia a veteran of the 2004 and 2010 AFCONs, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Ex-Glasgow Rangers and Olympique Marseille man Brahim has been capped twice but has prior to his appointment as Fennecs boss been the junior Algeria national team coach.
”They have a big experience with a national team and then they build up as well their careers as coached in France. So I think they know the particularity of Algerian football,” Beaumelle said.
”So I think they decided to call upon local coaches, Algerian coaches with experience from Europe, from France. And I think the will is just to change a bit the spirit of this team, because the potential is here. They have, as I said, very talented players with big potential. What is lacking is maybe the Algerian spirit and the aim, the target is to bring back this fighting spirit from Algeria.”
