Algeria sacks Lucas Alcaraz

CAIRO – 12 October 2017: The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) announced on Thursday the dismissal of the Spanish coach Lucas Alcaraz, so he will no longer coach the Algerian team in the clash against Cameroon in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers on November 6.

Federation sources revealed that the decision to remove the former Granada coach who was adopted at a meeting held on Wednesday, in which many of the board members demanded to sack the Spanish coach.

Alcaraz argued that nothing was agreed on in terms of qualifying the team to the World Cup and the African Cup, so he should be paid the agreed amount if he is dismissed.

Among the possible substitutes for Alcaraz is the former player of Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and Manchester City’s, Djamel Belmadi. Belmadi, also nicknamed “El Topo," 41, is known for his affection for his country of origin, Algeria. He started his coaching career in the Lekhwiya of Qatar in 2011.

In five qualifying matches, the Algerians, who were in Brazil 2014 and qualified for the second round, got only one point: a draw at home against Nigeria, which is the first African team to qualify this Saturday for Russia 2018.