MANAGER STAYS

The Algerian football Association has said that it will be retaining the services of the national team manager Vahid Halilhodzic irrespective of the results that the team achieves at the 2013 African cup of nations.

Algeria have qualified for this tournament after managing three successive victories in the final three qualifying matches. They will be playing in the group stages against the favourites like Côte d’Ivoire. Due to this tough draw for the team at the tournament itself, the results of the team will not be a factor towards judging the future of Vahid Halilhodzic.

Algeria recently suffered a 1-0 defeat in a friendly match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The President of the football Association, Mohamed Raouraoua has said that the football Association will be retaining his services for the World Cup qualifiers that will start immediately after the end of the Nations cup. Due to the fact that Halilhodzic has been successful in the first task that has been given to him – qualify for the African cup of nations, Raouraoua thinks that it is acceptable that he would be allowed to work on irrespective of the result that the team achieves at this major tournament. The Ivory Coast will be one of the favourites to win the tournament due to the presence of high profile players like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure.

“There will be the qualifiers for the World Cup to play straight afterwards; we do not intend to dispense with his services. He passed the first challenge to lead the team to the Nations Cup. Halilhodzic is building a competitive young team that can play two World Cups, let him work on the long term,” said Mohamed Raouraoua. The team will be facing the likes of Tunisia, Togo, and Ivory Coast in the group D of the tournament.