Brahim Hemdani, a former captain of the French club Olympique de Marseille, has been named the new head coach of Algeria's national team, known as the Fennecs. This appointment follows the departure of Vladimir Petkovic, who was dismissed by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) in early August. Hemdani, 48, is a former defensive midfielder who played for several clubs in France and Scotland, including Strasbourg, Marseille, and Glasgow Rangers. He earned two caps for Algeria during his playing career and has limited coaching experience, having led FC Marignane-Gignac to promotion in the French third division from 2022 to 2025. He also guided the Algerian under-21 team to a gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Italy last week, the team's first title in over 50 years. Hemdani will be supported by Antar Yahia, another former captain of Algeria, who has been appointed as his assistant coach. Moussa Saïb, also a former national team captain, has been named general manager of the team. Hemdani is expected to begin his duties soon, focusing on preparing for the next training camp in September. This camp will be crucial for selecting players for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2027 qualifiers. Algeria’s first match in this campaign will be against Zambia at the Tizi Ouzou stadium on September 25, followed by a game against Burundi four days later. Vladimir Petkovic, who was initially expected to remain in his role until 2028 after a contract extension, was removed from his position despite leading Algeria to qualify for the World Cup in North America this summer. However, the team was eliminated in the round of 16 by Switzerland with a 2-0 defeat. Petkovic’s tenure also included a disappointing performance in the CAN in Morocco in January, where Algeria lost in the quarter-finals to Nigeria by the same score. Hemdani’s appointment comes at a critical time for Algerian football, with the team aiming to rebuild after recent setbacks. His background as a player and previous success with the under-21 team may provide a fresh perspective as the FAF seeks to improve the national team’s performance on the international stage. The upcoming matches against Zambia and Burundi will be an early test of Hemdani’s ability to bring about change and restore confidence in the squad.