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The people of Algeria experienced a great shock
Talk of Switzerland’s Vladimir Petkovic’s future is no longer an angry reaction to his exit from the 2026 World Cup. Rather, it has turned into a widespread public demand, after the Algerian team failed to present the image that everyone expected during the tournament.
The loss to Switzerland in the round of 32 was just the latest in a series of technical and tactical errors that have dogged the team in the last round, leaving the door wide open to the question of whether it is time for a change.
Lack of identity and lack of stability
The most obvious thing that the Algerian team suffered under the leadership of Petkovic was the lack of a clear technical identity. Each game the team played in a different style, with no fixed personality or method of play that could be built upon, which reflected directly on the players’ performance, whether in defensive or attacking aspects.
The team failed to develop a clear method of building attacks or pressuring opponents, and had major problems with defensive positioning and transitions, which are supposed to be the basics of any team competing in a tournament the size of the World Cup.
Technical decisions have raised questions
Petkovic’s choices have caused plenty of controversy throughout the tournament, from his insistence on playing Issa Mandy despite a clear decline in form of late, to not trusting captain Riyad Mahrez as a starter against Argentina.
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Most notably, the Swiss coach pushed Ibrahim Matzah into a dummy forward position, a position the player had never occupied before, which resulted in the team losing one of its key elements in midfield, as well as depriving the team of the quality that characterizes Matza in the game.
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The interesting thing is that the Algerian team is playing in this way for the first time, which made the match against Switzerland difficult.
Endless changes
What angered the Algerian fans the most was Petkovic’s instability in a single line-up or even a fixed team structure. In each game, the coach made extensive adjustments to the basic elements and tactical plans, which did not allow the players to achieve the desired harmony.
This constant fluctuation made the team seem like they were still in the experimental stage, despite playing in the most important tournament in the world of football, which was clearly reflected in the collective performance on the field.
Inability to manage difficult moments
The problem was not limited to the technical selection, but also spread to the way the matches were conducted. At times when the team needed quick interventions or changes to restore balance, the technical staff seemed late to read the match and substitutions failed to change the look of the team or save it at crucial moments.
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The match against Switzerland was the best example of this, as the team could not seem to recover the result despite having many elements that could have made the difference.
The coach continued to push the duo of Mendy and Rami Bensebain, a defensive system that has conceded 9 goals to the Desert Warriors during the tournament, without stepping in in time to correct the mistakes given his obvious tardiness, especially with the start of the second half of matches, which cost the team dearly.
The fans have had their say
By the end of the World Cup campaign, Petkovic’s relationship with the fans was no longer what it had been at the beginning of his experience. Social media was filled with calls for his sacking, considering that the national team is on the wrong track and that the coach’s continuation will not achieve the expected development until the upcoming elections.
With the World Cup campaign now over, the ball now appears to be in the court of the Algerian Football Federation, which will be required to resolve the issue quickly, either by giving Petkovic a new chance or by responding to the voice of the fans and looking for a new artistic project to get the Desert Warriors back on track.
