Algeria coach Benstiti bereaved after historic 2026 Women’s AFCON run

Farid Benstiti is mourning the death of his brother after leading Algeria to a historic bronze medal at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Algeria women’s national team coach was informed of the family bereavement by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), which announced the news in a statement on Tuesday.

Benstiti’s personal loss comes shortly after the most significant tournament in Algeria’s women’s football history. On 15 August, he became the first coach to guide the Vertes to a podium finish in the continental competition.

His side secured third place by overcoming hosts Morocco, who had finished as runners-up in the previous two editions. The match ended 1-1 before Algeria prevailed 3-2 on penalties after extra time.

The result added another landmark achievement to a campaign that had already delivered a major breakthrough for the national team.

A week before the play-off for third place, Benstiti had overseen Algeria’s qualification for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. That historic place was confirmed with a 2-1 quarter-final victory over Cote d’Ivoire on 8 August.

The qualification represents Algeria’s return to the global stage and further underlines the progress made under Benstiti’s management.

His influence had already been evident during the previous year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Benstiti was the architect of Algeria’s run to the quarter-finals, a result that ended a seven-year wait for the national side to appear at the tournament.

Across the past two campaigns, the coach has therefore helped establish a series of firsts for Algeria’s women’s team. The quarter-final appearance marked the country’s return to the continental competition, while the 2026 tournament brought its first semi-final, first podium finish and qualification for a Women’s World Cup.

The bronze-medal victory over Morocco also gave the Vertes a notable result against the host nation and a team that had twice been crowned runners-up in Africa.

Benstiti’s achievements with the team have come alongside a period of growing importance for Algerian women’s football, with the side now set to compete at the World Cup in Brazil next year.

However, the coach is now facing a period of mourning following the death of his brother. The FAF’s announcement came only days after Algeria completed its historic tournament campaign, which saw Benstiti enter the national team’s history as the first coach to take the Vertes on to the African podium.