Algeria national team, Vladimir Petkovic, ...: the bare minimum, but for how much longer?

Knocked out in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, Algeria dives back into self-doubt: lack of identity, lowered ambitions, and Petkovic’s future up in the air.

Today, at 6 a.m., Algeria’s dream of reaching the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup came to a crashing halt after a resounding 2-0 defeat to Switzerland. Disappointment, regret, and, in some ways, inevitability. A wave of melancholy swept over the Algerian nation, so passionately in love with its national team and the beautiful game.

See also: World Cup 2026: Algeria out, Switzerland’s adventure continues (2-0)

As with every tournament, whether international or continental, Algerian fans rally, hope, believe—but in the end, they’re rarely rewarded. Sadly, it’s starting to become a habit. All the hopes were there, but the team simply wasn’t.

A World Cup that fell short of expectations

After a group stage that was, at best, handled, despite a heavy 3-0 defeat to Argentina—without ever really trying, which is exactly what infuriates us, the fans on the ground—the Fennecs then struggled against Jordan. Trailing against a team that, let’s be honest, is far from formidable—no offense—Algeria clawed its way back thanks to two corners and goals from Benbouali and Gouiri. More questions than answers about this team’s playing style. The bare minimum, nothing more.

In their final group game, Algeria needed just a draw against already-qualified Austria. That’s what happened, in a spectacular 3-3, but again, only just scraping by. And this is becoming all too familiar. The Greens squeezed through to the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams, setting up a clash with Switzerland instead of Spain. A lucky break? Maybe not…

In the round of 32, Algeria faced Switzerland—a team that likes to play but is hardly unbeatable, even if it boasts stars like Xhaka, Akanji, Embolo and others. The start was actually promising. The Greens even had a chance to open the scoring, but Aouar missed the target. Switzerland punished us on their first counterattack, and from there, it was a black hole. We tried, but nothing happened. The Nati managed us like amateurs—and that’s putting it kindly.

After the break, yet another individual mistake: Belghali clears right up the middle, Ndoye pounces, fires, and it’s 2-0. Game over by the 46th minute. More frustration for Algerian fans.

Let’s be honest: we all knew Algeria was never coming back, even if the match lasted three days. Against a Swiss side in almost total control, the Greens looked lost, out of ideas, no clear plan—incapable of producing anything beyond the odd flash of individual brilliance… when that even happened.

Questions over Petkovic’s system, tactics, and ideas

Criticized for over a year—whether in friendlies, qualifiers, or other tournaments—the national team’s performances have hardly improved. If anything, they’ve left fans more confused than ever.

In the months leading up to the 2026 World Cup, Algeria experimented several times with a three-man defense, both in a 3-4-3 and 3-5-2, using completely different player combinations. We thought Vladimir Petkovic had come to the same conclusion as many of us: the Mandi-Bensebaïni partnership just wasn’t working, for one reason or another. The logical solution seemed to be shifting to three at the back to shore up the defense—as former Algeria international Khaled Lemmouchia explained to Foot-Africa.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, for the first World Cup match, Petkovic reverted to a back four. Fans were left stunned. Madman or genius? I’d bet on the former… but who knows.

Even Algeria’s all-time top scorer, Islam Slimani, highlighted it after the Switzerland defeat on beIN Sports, pointing to the Greens’ near-total lack of playing identity:

“The problem isn’t whether we play with a lone striker or a false nine, but the absence of a clear identity. For nearly two years, we’ve watched the team bounce between these two systems without any real continuity.”

And on that point, it’s hard to argue with him.

It’s not because we’re Algeria that we should demand the impossible. It’s precisely because we’re Algeria that we must stop settling for the minimum.

A new contract raising eyebrows

After everything Algerian fans have experienced since Vladimir Petkovic took over, the Swiss coach somehow convinced the powers that be to grant him a new two-year contract—with a pay rise.

According to several Algerian media outlets, the national team coach now earns around €160,000 per month, making him the highest-paid national coach on the African continent—almost double the second on the list, Carlos Queiroz, who reportedly gets €84,000 a month with Ghana. This has raised plenty of questions.

On top of that are bonuses linked to objectives that, for many fans, seem far too modest for a team like Algeria: reaching the AFCON quarterfinals, qualifying for the World Cup, or just getting out of the World Cup group stage.

It’s understandable that this renewal, coming right before the World Cup, aimed to provide stability and continuity. But one question remains: what happens if the coach fails? What if the project doesn’t work out? We sincerely hope there’s a clause in his contract covering such a scenario.

For now, despite the Swiss disaster, Vladimir Petkovic shows no sign of wanting to step down and intends to see out his contract. But Algerian public opinion is far from convinced.

What next? Wait and see…

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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