Algeria head coach Brahim Hemdani admitted his side’s defensive organisation remains a “priority project” after their 2-1 friendly victory over Niger in Tizi Ouzou on Tuesday.
The result offered some encouragement following a difficult 2-2 draw with Burundi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, but Algeria’s performance was uneven. The quarter-finalists at the most recent Africa Cup of Nations were unsettled from the outset after making seven changes to the team that started against Burundi.
Niger took the lead in the 12th minute when Konan Ndri exploited uncertainty between Zineddine Belaid, who was captain for the match, and goalkeeper Abdelatif Ramdane, whose attempted save lacked firmness. Algeria were then exposed on several further occasions before recovering to secure the win.
The match also underlined the scale of the rebuilding required in defence following Aissa Mandi’s international retirement. Hemdani selected Sohaib Nair at right-back, Belaid and Ahmed Touba in central defence, and Jaouen Hadjam on the left.
Algeria have now gone through their latest run of matches without a clean sheet, conceding three goals against Zambia, two against Burundi and one against Niger.
“We suffered in the first half and cannot be satisfied with our performance during that period,” Hemdani said at his post-match news conference.
“We allowed Niger to take control of the match and go ahead. This is a priority project. We were put under pressure in the first half and had to endure it. We have shortcomings, and they are obvious in terms of our defensive organisation.
“We are looking for complementarity in different positions. The central defensive partnership is an important part of the defensive unit. Chergui was tired and we did not want to take a risk. There is a great deal of work to do, with many changes and new players.”
Hemdani has not fully convinced a section of an exacting Algerian support, but the coach urged patience as he continues to assess his options, particularly at centre-back.
“My starting point was to give as many of the players I called up as possible a chance, so I could form an opinion,” he said. “I have lessons to draw from this.
“I remain optimistic and am convinced we will achieve our aims. I now have a clear idea of the players’ potential. We used 26 players during this gathering.”
Algeria’s next assignment will be a two-legged meeting with Togo in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in November.
For those matches, Hemdani will be able to call on suspended players Luca Zidane and Rafik Belghali. Rayan Ait-Nouri could also return, provided his disciplinary exclusion from this camp does not continue.
