World Cup 2026: Rabah Madjer blasts Vladimir Petkovic after Algeria’s exit

Algeria legend Rabah Madjer has heavily criticised coach Vladimir Petkovic following the Desert Foxes’ disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Algeria were beaten 2-0 by Switzerland in the Round of 32 on Friday morning, ending the North African nation’s hopes of progressing further in the tournament.

Speaking on the “Our Club” programme after the defeat, Madjer said Algeria’s elimination was fully deserved because the team failed to compete against a superior Swiss side.

“Algeria’s elimination was deserved, as we did not offer anything against Switzerland, who proved their superiority over us, and they could have won by a larger margin,” he said.

Madjer questions Petkovic’s tactical decisions

The former Algerian star also aimed criticism at Petkovic’s team selection and tactical approach, arguing that key decisions before and during the match negatively affected the players.

He claimed the coach made serious mistakes by leaving out certain players and deploying young midfielder Ibrahim Maza in an unfamiliar attacking role.

“We suffered from great recklessness, but the coach entered the match with the wrong lineup, by excluding some players and using the young player Ibrahim Maza as a false striker, a position far beyond his capabilities.”

Madjer went further by accusing the Algerian coach of damaging the confidence of his squad through poor decisions during the tournament.

“Petkovic made some disastrous decisions that destroyed the Algerian players mentally, and the loss was deserved in my opinion.”

Algeria accused of underestimating Switzerland

Madjer also criticised the atmosphere surrounding Algeria’s preparations for the knockout tie, insisting some within the camp wrongly assumed qualification was certain.

According to the Algerian football icon, that mentality had no place in elite football and contributed to the team’s downfall on the global stage.

“The preparation for this round was not good in the first place. Some people were saying that playing against Switzerland would be easy and qualification was guaranteed, but I have already denounced these things which have no basis in the dictionary of football.”

Algeria’s elimination marked another painful World Cup setback for African football, with the Desert Foxes unable to match the organisation and efficiency shown by the Swiss throughout the contest.