Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi has officially resigned from his position following the team’s shocking group-stage elimination at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Belmadi’s departure was confirmed by Algerian Football Federation president Walid Sadi on Wednesday after talks between the two men in the wake of Algeria’s premature tournament exit.
“I met with Belmadi to discuss the reasons behind the early exit, and we mutually agreed to terminate his contract,” Sadi wrote on his official social media account on Wednesday.
The two times AFCON champions finished rock bottom of Group E after a stunning 1-0 upset at the hands of minnows Mauritania.
That result left Algeria with just two points from draws against Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.
Belmadi took charge of the national team in 2018 and led them to glory at the 2019 AFCON held in Egypt. But Algeria’s defense of the title since has been woeful.
They crashed out in the group stage last year as well and also failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The latest disappointment proved the final straw for Belmadi.
Belmadi is the fourth coaching casualty of this AFCON already following the departures of Tom Saintfiet (Gambia), Chris Hughton (Ghana) and Jean-Louis Gasset (Ivory Coast).
But Algeria’s dismal performance was particularly shocking given they came into the tournament as one of the favorites. Their spiritless displays led to intense criticism back home.
Algeria, an african football giants have just two trophies, with the first being in 1990, when they hosted the tournament. They only bounced back after 29 years to clinch the title again when they defeated Senegal by a lone goal in 2019
