Ibrahim Hamdani says he is prepared for the criticism and pressure that come with managing Algeria, insisting his priority is developing a strong relationship with his players and producing positive results.
Hamdani, who was appointed as the new coach of the Algerian national team, announced his first squad on Thursday for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Zambia and Burundi on 25 and 29 September.
Algeria will also face Niger in a friendly on 6 October as Hamdani begins his tenure with the national side.
The Algerian Football Federation appointed Hamdani to replace Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic. His selection surprised some Algerian supporters and observers because of his limited experience in senior management.
His appointment followed his success with Algeria’s under-20 side at the Mediterranean Games, where he guided the team to the gold medal.
Speaking at his first news conference as Algeria coach, Hamdani addressed the criticism surrounding his appointment and said he was comfortable dealing with the attention that comes with the role.
The former Olympique Marseille player said: “Criticism is part of the nature of my work, and I have an advantage in that I am not on social media.”
He added: “You can try to find me (on the platforms), but I really don’t seek to please everyone. What matters to me is building a strong relationship with the players and achieving positive results.”
Hamdani also acknowledged the pressure associated with leading the national team, saying: “This position cannot be accepted without being prepared to face the press and the pressure from the fans.”
The new coach said his familiarity with Algeria and its supporters would help him deal with the expectations surrounding the team.
“I visit Algeria regularly, I know the fans well, and I currently feel there is a great deal of understanding,” he said.
Hamdani also stressed that he had arrived without fixed assumptions about the players or the circumstances surrounding the national team.
“I did not come with preconceived and rigid judgments and ideas,” he said.
The coach was also questioned about his own history with Algeria’s national team. As a player, he had turned down opportunities to join the side several times during the peak of his career before eventually representing the country later in his playing career.
Addressing the issue, Hamdani said: “When you build a career, you make some decisions and choices. And I take responsibility for my choices (his delay in joining the Algerian national team)…”
Hamdani also insisted that no player had been permanently ruled out of his plans, including those not included in his first squad.
He said players such as Houssem Aouar and Ramez Zerrouki had not been left out because of preconceived views, stressing that performances would determine future selections.
“The Algerian national team’s roster for this camp reflects a certain situation at a specific moment. No one has been excluded and performance alone will be the criterion,” he said.
Hamdani added: “Decision-making is the core of a coach’s job. In any case, we are seeking to build a broad base of players to choose the starting lineup, and then we will work gradually to achieve a kind of stability.”
The coach admitted that the limited preparation time before the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers would make his task more difficult.
“The time available to us is short, but these are challenges that coaches have to deal with,” Hamdani said.
He also explained that the technical staff had attempted to monitor as many players as possible, without allowing the level of the league in which they play to determine whether they were considered.
“We tried to follow as many players as possible without looking at the level of the league in which they play,” he said.
Hamdani’s first test will come against Zambia on 25 September, followed by the meeting with Burundi four days later, before Algeria face Niger in their October friendly.
