Vladimir Petkovic expressed his readiness for the “new challenge” of leading Algeria as head coach, speaking to the media on Monday.
The 60-year-old coach, who has already led Switzerland to two World Cups, is keen to repeat that success with Algeria, who are fighting to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Petkovic arrived in Algiers on Sunday and begins his first coaching experience in Africa with the Desert Foxes. “In my past experiences, I’ve worked with many African players, but football now works on a global level” he commented during his presentation in Algiers.
Petkovic’s first tests will take place in June, when Algeria face Guinea and Uganda in the World Cup qualifiers. The Desert Foxes have already started their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup with victories over Somalia and Mozambique.
Despite winning their second AFCON title in Egypt in 2019, Algeria have stumbled in the last two editions, going out at the group stage.
