The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) and coach Djamel Belmadi mutually agreed to part ways on Wednesday after the team’s disappointing exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
“I met with Djamel Belmadi to discuss the consequences of this bitter elimination,” FAF president Walid Sadi said in a statement, adding, “We have reached an agreement for an amicable separation, concluding the coach’s contract with the FAF.”
Algeria suffered its second consecutive group-stage exit in Cote d’Ivoire, after it drew 1-1 with Angola, and 2-2 with Burkina Faso, followed by a 1-0 loss to Mauritania, sitting bottom in Group D, reports Xinhua.
Belmadi’s tenure of nearly six years with Algeria is marked by controversy. Despite helping the Greens win the AFCON title in 2019, he experienced two subsequent failures in the group stage of the tournament, along with the team’s elimination in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.