Djamel Belmadi will vacate his role as the coach of Algeria national team after the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in January.
The 45-year-old, who guided the national team to AFCON glory in 2019, is reported to be in talks with French Ligue 1 giants, Olympique Marseille.
He will not see his contract through as the Algerian FA is reported to having agreed that he will leave his post at the end of this summer’s African championship.
Belmadi signed a contract extension with e Desert Fennecs in October 2022 that would have seen him leave 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The former Algeria international, Belmadi was named as handler of the North African team following Rabah Madjer’s failure to lead them to the 2018 Fifa World Cup staged in Russia.
Leading Desert Fennecs to the title in Cameroon, just weeks after guiding the national team to FIFA Arab Cup title, would be a sensational way for Belmadi to sign off.
Algeria plays in Group E of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2021, besides Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.
The Desert Fennecs will start their title defending campaign by facing Sierra Leone at the Japoma Stadium in Douala on January 11, 2022.
Belmadi on Christmas Day named a strong AFCON squad that has the likes of Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez and Said Benrahma of West Ham, as well as the best player in the FIFA Arab Cup, Yassine Brahimi, and best goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi.
Qatar-based striker Baghdad Bounedjah is also in the squad which has Nice’s Hicham Boudaoui missing but there was a place for un-attached Youcef Belaili.
Algeria squad of Afcon 2021
Goalkeepers: Rais M’Bolhi (Ettifaq, Saudi Arabia), Alexandre Oukidja (Metz, France), Moustapha Zeghba (Damac, Saudi Arabia).
Defenders: Djameleddine Benlamri (Qatar SC, Qatar), Aissa Mandi (Villareal, Spain), Mohamed Amine Tougai, Ilyes Chetti, Abdelkader Bedrane (all Esperance, Tunisia), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany), Youcef Atal (Nice, France), Houcine Benayada (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Mohamed Reda Halaimia (Beerschot, Belgium), Mehdi Tahrat (Al Gharafa, Qatar)
Midfielders: Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan, Italy), Ramiz Zerrouki (FC Twente, Netherlands), Adem Zorgane (Charleroi, Belgium), Haris Belkebla (Brest, France), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray, Turkey), Sofiane Bendebka (Al Fateh, Saudi Arabia).
Forwards: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, England), Adam Ounas (Napoli, Italy), Youcef Belaïli (Unattached), Said Benrahma (West Ham United, England), Yacine Brahimi (Al Rayyan, Qatar), Farid Boulaya (Metz, France), Islam Slimani (Lyon, France), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd, Qatar), Mohamed Amine Amoura (Lugano, Switzerland).
