Algeria’s U17 national team has concluded the FIFA Talent Development Tournament (TDS) in Abidjan with a disappointing record—three defeats, twelve goals conceded, and only six scored. These results have raised serious concerns about the team’s readiness for the upcoming North African Football Union (UNAF) tournament in November, which will serve as a qualifier for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in this category.
During the tournament, held from September 3 to 8 at the National Technical Center in Bingerville, Algeria’s young players faced significant challenges.
They were defeated 7-4 by South Africa, narrowly lost 1-0 to the Ivory Coast, and ended their campaign with a 4-1 loss to Zambia.
Despite moments of promise, particularly in the first halves against South Africa and Zambia, the team’s overall performance was far from convincing.
The defensive frailties and lack of tactical coherence were glaring, leaving the squad vulnerable to the physical and strategic prowess of their sub-Saharan opponents.
These disappointing results come just two months before the crucial UNAF tournament, where Algeria will compete for a spot in the AFCON final stages.
The current state of the U17 team is a far cry from their performance in the last UNAF tournament in Algiers, where they finished second with one win and three draws.
The stark contrast in results has sparked debate among observers and fans alike, many of whom are questioning the effectiveness of the current national technical management (DTN) under the Algerian Football Federation (FAF).
The DTN’s approach, or lack thereof, has come under scrutiny. Critics argue that the federation’s chronic instability and recurring changes in leadership have prevented the implementation of a coherent, long-term development plan.
Instead of fostering a stable environment for nurturing young talent, the DTN’s strategy has been marked by short-term fixes and reactive measures, leading to repeated failures on the international stage.
One of the most pressing issues is the lack of a robust training infrastructure.
Unlike other African nations, such as Senegal, which has successfully developed a network of academies that produce top-quality players, Algeria has lagged behind.
Senegal’s U17 team, for instance, which won the 2023 AFCON in Algeria, was composed largely of players from domestic academies like Génération Foot and Diambars.
In contrast, Algeria’s reliance on ad hoc training camps and hastily assembled squads has yielded inconsistent results at best.
The situation is further compounded by the absence of a sustainable development strategy.
The DTN’s reliance on the traditional model of player selection through detection plateaus, followed by brief training camps, has not produced the desired outcomes.
The lack of comprehensive academies and a structured training program has left Algeria’s youth teams ill-prepared to compete at the highest levels.
The few successes, such as the U17 team’s victory in the 2021 UNAF tournament, are seen as anomalies rather than the result of a well-oiled development machine.
The consequences of these systemic issues are likely to manifest once again in the upcoming UNAF tournament.
Without significant changes to the way Algeria approaches youth football development, the national teams will continue to struggle, paying the price for a lack of vision and investment in the future of the sport.
As Algeria looks ahead to the next major international tournaments, the lessons from the TDS tournament in Abidjan must not be ignored.
It is time for the FAF and the DTN to reevaluate their strategies and make the necessary investments in youth development.
Only then can Algeria hope to build a sustainable pipeline of talent capable of competing on the continental and global stages.
