Secretary General of the Algerian Football Federation, Nadhir Bouzannad, confirms:
The Secretary-General of the Algerian Football Federation, Nadhir Bouzanad, confirmed during his hosting of the “In the Ninety” program presented by our colleague Tariq Boufleh in the presence of former international players Hussein Achiou and Hakim Madane, that the Algerian Federation has its sights set on the future work and development of the game, addressing sensitive issues that include the former technical staff, the performance of referees, and the penalties for playing without an audience (“the Wicklow”), in addition to infrastructure projects.
Bouznad resolved the controversy surrounding the termination of the contractual relationship with former national voter Vladimir Petkovic and the financial compensation associated with it, stressing that matters were clear from the beginning according to the official statement issued by “FAF.” He explained that the file was completely closed, considering that preoccupation with rumors and interpretations does not serve Algerian football, which requires focusing efforts on future projects. Regarding the oversight aspect, he pointed out that the next General Assembly will constitute a main station for presenting all documents and decisions in complete transparency to members and in accordance with established procedures.
Regarding the arbitration file, the second man in “FAF” said that arbitration errors are an integral part of football, and they occur in various international tournaments and are not limited to local competitions. In response to questions from former international player Hakim Madan regarding performance evaluation and approved standards, Bouznad explained that errors are often unintended and related to technical angles of vision, stressing that the most important thing lies in the presence of clear treatment mechanisms and not in exaggerating the controversy.
The Secretary-General affirmed the independence of the Central Arbitration Committee and its possession of a work program and development strategy, revealing that no less than 23 training courses are organized annually to raise technical efficiency. He also stressed the Federation’s rejection of the culture of pinning defeats on arbitration, indicating that the Federation has activated precise accountability mechanisms in accordance with the Referees’ Law ratified in 2025, which has already led to disciplinary decisions being taken against some referees.
Regarding the file of disciplinary penalties, especially playing without an audience (“wicklow”), Bouznad explained that this measure is not local, but is applied globally to protect competition. He pointed out that the Federation recently reviewed the disciplinary law to make its provisions clearer, calling for staying away from populist rhetoric and assuming responsibilities, while working to improve the organization and facilities for receiving supporters to find a civilized approach that protects the enjoyment of football and ensures the attendance of supporters without harming competition.
On the infrastructure level, Bouzanad revealed the Union’s tireless efforts to exploit the available facilities and improve preparation conditions, highlighting promising projects such as the Tlemcen Center and Rouiba Stadium. He explained that an official request had been submitted to the municipality of Rouiba to obtain the concession to exploit the stadium and to program investments to equip it and place it at the disposal of young national and women’s teams and clubs to conduct their training, in a way that supports the path of training and development of national football at all levels.
Regarding the two Togolese matches, Bouznad stated that all organizational and administrative arrangements for the national team’s training have been completed, in addition to logistical preparations for the upcoming travel trip to the Togolese capital, Lomé, on November 15, in preparation for the upcoming matches, noting that Hamdani enjoys calm and has a good relationship with Antar and Sayeb, and we as a federation believe in national competence and will provide them with all support.
