Majid Bougherra has been officially appointed as the coach of the Lebanese national team, succeeding the Croatian coach
The Lebanese Football Federation announced on Wednesday, in a move aimed at reorganizing the national team, the appointment of the young Algerian coach Majid Bougherra as the technical director of the "Men of the Cedars" team, to lead the technical direction in the next crucial stage.
The official announcement came via a brief statement published by the federation on its official Facebook account, confirming that the executive committee decided in its meeting held today to assign the task to Bouguerra, who enjoys a good reputation in Arab and African football circles.
A golden career: "The Magician" on the world stage
The name Madjid Bougherra is not unfamiliar to football fans. The new coach of the Lebanese national team boasts a distinguished playing career, having been a key player in Algeria's golden generation. Nicknamed "Magic," Bougherra played 344 official matches during his professional career, representing prestigious European clubs such as Glasgow Rangers in Scotland and Charlton Athletic in England, in addition to his time in Qatar with Al-Duhail (formerly Lekhwiya).
On the international level, Bouguerra was the rock of the "Desert Warriors'" defense, as he participated in two consecutive editions of the World Cup finals (2010 in South Africa and 2014 in Brazil), contributing to Algeria's historic achievement of reaching the second round in the Brazil World Cup, in addition to his multiple participations in the Africa Cup of Nations, during his career he scored 17 goals and made 15 others.
From leading on the field to coaching: Arab champion
After retiring from playing, Bouguerra transferred his leadership qualities to the technical side, where he achieved remarkable and rapid success. His most notable coaching achievement was leading the Algerian national team to victory in the 2021 Arab Cup (FIFA) held in Qatar, where he demonstrated exceptional tactical acumen by defeating strong teams such as Morocco, Qatar, and Tunisia in the final. This made him a sought-after coach for several football federations before he ultimately took charge of the Lebanese national team.
First task: Securing continental qualification
Bouguerra will have little time to rest, as a crucial and immediate test awaits him. His first official match with the Lebanese national team will be against Yemen, in the final round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The match, scheduled to be held in Qatar on March 31, is of paramount importance to Lebanese football.
The Lebanese national team enters this match with clear calculations, as it only needs to come out with a draw to guarantee its place in the Asian continental championship, which places on Bouguerra the responsibility of preparing the team psychologically and technically so as not to lose the qualification card, and to start a new era that restores balance to the Cedars team.
