MC Alger’s dramatic return to the CAF Champions League group stage has been followed by fresh uncertainty over the future of head coach Khaled Ben Yahia, who has reportedly informed the club’s management of his desire to leave.
African football journalist Micky Junior reported on X that the Tunisian coach wants to depart despite guiding the Algerian side through a difficult second-leg assignment against Enugu Rangers on Friday.
According to the report, the club’s management is expected to meet soon to discuss the situation and determine the next step.
No formal departure has been confirmed, leaving Ben Yahia’s future unresolved as MC Alger celebrate their return to the competition’s group stage.
MC Alger secured qualification with a 3–0 victory over Rangers in Algiers, overturning their 2–0 first leg deficit to advance 3–2 on aggregate. The comeback was completed by late goals from Mohamed Bangoura and Soufiane Bayazid after substitute Chahreddine Boukholda had opened the scoring.
The result completed a dramatic turnaround for a side that had looked vulnerable after losing the first leg in Abeokuta. Yet the celebrations have now been accompanied by a reported dispute involving the man who guided the team through the tie.
The incident that continues to cast a shadow
The reported desire to leave is linked to Ben Yahia’s unhappiness with the behaviour of some MC Alger supporters, particularly during the first leg against Rangers in Nigeria.
As previously reported by TheAthleticNG, sections of the Algerian club’s travelling support turned on their own technical team after the 2–0 defeat at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta on October 18. The disorder included a confrontation involving the technical staff and damage to stadium seats.
Micky Junior’s latest report states that some supporters allegedly attempted to break into the dressing room to attack Ben Yahia. That specific claim remains an allegation and should not be treated as an independently established account of what occurred.
Rangers subsequently petitioned the Confederation of African Football (CAF), requesting disciplinary action and asking for the return leg to be played behind closed doors. CAF rejected the request but confirmed that disciplinary proceedings would be opened over incidents reported during the first leg.
What happens next?
The immediate question is whether MC Alger’s management can resolve the situation and persuade Ben Yahia to continue in his role.
According to Micky Junior, a meeting is expected in the coming days, when the club’s leadership will discuss the coach’s reported request and decide how to proceed.
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For now, there is no confirmed announcement that Ben Yahia has resigned or that MC Alger have accepted his desire to leave.
The situation presents a striking contrast: a successful fightback on the pitch has secured MC Alger a place in the Champions League group stage, but the fallout from the first leg against Rangers may yet shape what happens next behind the scenes.
