World Cup 2026: Djamel Benlamri blasts Algeria’s “surrender” against Switzerland

Former Algeria defender Djamel Benlamri has launched a fierce criticism of the Desert Foxes following their 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in the Round of 32, describing the performance as a complete surrender rather than a respectable World Cup exit. The loss ended Algeria’s first knockout appearance at the tournament since 2014.

Appearing on ENTV after the match, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winner made no attempt to hide his frustration.

“Losing is part of football, but it’s the way… this way of giving up. Because it truly is a surrender,” Benlamri declared.

The former centre-back was particularly angered by what he viewed as a lack of seriousness from certain players during such a decisive encounter.

“Some players were mocking the opposition by playing with their heels,” he added, insisting that there was no room for such behaviour in a World Cup knockout match.

Confusion over Petkovic’s tactical approach

Benlamri also admitted that he struggled to understand Algeria’s game plan throughout the evening.

“I wanted to understand how we played, but I couldn’t.”

The former international specifically questioned the positioning of several attacking players in Vladimir Petkovic’s fluid system.

“Ait-Nouri in the second half, Chaibi… I didn’t understand what his role was. Gouiri came on, but he was with Aït-Nouri on the wing. I didn’t understand how we were playing.”

Petkovic opted to begin the match without a conventional centre-forward, deploying Ibrahim Maza in a false-nine role while relying on positional rotations from Farès Chaïbi, Houssem Aouar and Riyad Mahrez. Although the system created problems for Switzerland during the opening exchanges, it ultimately failed to generate clear-cut opportunities.

Switzerland wanted it more

For Benlamri, the most disappointing aspect of the defeat was Algeria’s inability to respond after falling behind.

“There were no chances. Switzerland was leading 2-0 and they showed more commitment than us.”

The Swiss, guided by Murat Yakin, produced a tactically disciplined display. Breel Embolo opened the scoring in the 10th minute after a brilliant run from Johan Manzambi, while Dan Ndoye doubled the advantage immediately after half-time. Switzerland then controlled proceedings through the experience of Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler in midfield.

Statistically, Algeria enjoyed periods of possession but struggled to threaten Gregor Kobel consistently, registering only two efforts on target compared to Switzerland’s five.

“No identity in two and a half years”

Benlamri’s harshest criticism was reserved for the broader direction of the national team under Petkovic.

“Where does this disengagement come from? In two and a half years with this coach, we never saw our national team play with a true identity.”

His remarks echo similar concerns recently raised by former striker Islam Slimani, who argued that Algeria have become overly dependent on moments of individual brilliance from players such as Riyad Mahrez, Ibrahim Maza and Rayan Ait-Nouri rather than functioning as a coherent collective.

Petkovic, however, has defended his work, urging Algerians to focus on the positives after guiding the country back to the World Cup for the first time in 12 years and reaching the knockout stage for only the second time in its history. The coach accepted full responsibility for the elimination but insisted that the campaign represented an important step forward for Algerian football.

Nevertheless, Benlamri’s explosive comments underline the growing debate surrounding the future direction of the Desert Foxes and whether Petkovic can establish the clear playing identity that many former internationals believe is currently missing.