Vladimir Petkovic has taken up the role of head coach for Algeria's national soccer team, aiming to leverage his significant experience from leading Switzerland in two World Cups to elevate Algerian football.

This appointment marks Petkovic's first foray into African soccer and presents a fresh challenge as he sets his sights on guiding the Desert Foxes to success, particularly with an eye on the 2026 World Cup qualifications.

Petkovic is set to lead Algeria against Guinea and Uganda in the World Cup qualifiers this June.

The team has already secured wins over Somalia and Mozambique in the 2026 qualifiers. Despite winning the AFCON title in 2019, Algeria faced early exits in the last two tournaments​