Brahim Hemdani handed early test with Algeria at Mediterranean Games

Brahim Hemdani will take charge of Algeria’s under-21 side at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto, giving the recently appointed Algeria U20 head coach an immediate opportunity to assess the country’s next generation.

The tournament will be held in Taranto, in Puglia in southern Italy, and Hemdani has selected 18 players for the competition. All of them currently play in Algeria, with the dates of the Games coinciding with the start of the major European domestic leagues.

Algeria’s young Fennecs will begin their campaign against Kosovo on 22 August. They will then face Italy on 24 August before completing the group stage against Albania on 26 August.

Although the team registered for the event will be made up of under-21 players, the competition is intended to help the new coaching staff evaluate a generation expected to progress gradually into the senior national set-up.

Morocco and Tunisia will also participate in the tournament. They have been placed in a group alongside Turkey and North Macedonia.

For Hemdani, the assignment represents his first significant responsibility since being appointed to lead Algeria’s under-20 team. The former Olympique de Marseille midfielder spent much of his playing career away from the national set-up, but will now be directly involved in developing the players who could eventually form the core of the senior side.

Hemdani won only four caps for Algeria, all of them in 2008, after delaying his decision to represent the country for a considerable period.

Former France international Samir Nasri recently recalled that, when he was starting out at Olympique de Marseille, he had asked Hemdani why he was not playing for Algeria. Nasri said Hemdani had replied: «C’est le bordel la-bas.»

Hemdani later provided important context in an interview with Africafoot, explaining that his decision had been a personal one rather than a source of regret.

«Je n’ai pas de regrets concernant le fait de ne pas avoir dispute une grande competition avec le maillot national. C’etait mon choix de venir un peu tard. Ce sont des choix qu’un joueur peut faire dans sa carriere», he said.

Algeria were enduring a difficult period during the 2000s, failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in both 2006 and 2008. Hemdani therefore remained distant from the national team for much of his playing career before returning to contribute to the development of its future players.

He made 163 appearances for Olympique de Marseille between 2001 and 2005 and has recently gained coaching experience with Marignane in France’s fourth tier during the 2024-25 season.

His appointment is part of a wider move by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) to place former internationals in charge of youth teams. Rafik Saifi is working with the under-23 side, while Karim Ziani leads the under-16s.

Hemdani’s campaign in Taranto will consequently be his first major test as part of that developing coaching structure, as Algeria look to identify players capable of progressing through the national teams in the years ahead.