CR Belouizdad Coach Abdelkader Amrani Reflects on Team's Turmoil After Al Ahly Defeat

CR Belouizdad coach Abdelkader Amrani admitted the team is still feeling the effects of their 6-1 defeat to Egypt's Al Ahly in the CAF Champions League.

Speaking at a press conference after his side's 1-0 win over Olympique Akbou in the Algerian league's 15th round, Amrani said: "This week’s events destabilized the team and affected some players. I noticed the players were under significant pressure during the warm-up before the Akbou match. Credit goes entirely to the players for securing today’s victory."

Amrani explained his decision to rest goalkeeper Mustapha Zeghba, stating it was to protect him after the backlash following the heavy defeat to Al Ahly. "Zeghba remains the team's first-choice goalkeeper. I chose to rest him today to shield him from the criticism, especially on social media, which deprived him of sleep for two or three days," Amrani noted.

Reports suggested that Zeghba and teammate Islam Slimani were unhappy with being benched and left the team's training camp earlier in the day. Meanwhile, assistant coach Azeddine Rahim reportedly resigned in protest over the appointment of Samir Houhou as the team's first assistant coach.