What can we learn from the Algerian National Team during AFCON 2019?

For those who are passionate about football, Africa or both, these last couple of weeks have been very busy, emotional and stressful with the AFCON games. We have seen amazing teams and extraordinary performances one match after the other....

Football is not just a game, and competing for a Cup requires a lot of preparation, organization, planning, team development and an effective team structure. So what can we learn from football that can be applied to our businesses, teams and professional careers?

My article today is about the Algerian National Team "Les Fennecs" and how they managed to win the Cup, what was different from the last years when they didn't and how after 29 years they rise stronger than ever to win the 1st place! So here are some of the learning that Les Fennecs thought us:

1.What's your recruitment strategy? Similar to the Africa Cup teams, businesses should consider their recruitment strategy as a priority. For both it’s a delicate and important step with an objective of not just getting people onboard but getting the right balance in terms of technical skills needed, personality fit and also make sure the right balance and the right attitude is there to reach the team and business "goals".

It's not about whom you know, it's about what you can bring to the table and how hard you are willing to work, quoting coach Djamel Belmadi in the video below ".....Wherever Algerian players are, even if they are on Neptune and are good at football, I would like to consider them for the selection...I am only interested in skills..."

2. What's your team structure? Another very important step, getting the team structure right by making sure everyone knows what they are responsible for, don’t leave space to confusion or frustration, it is crucial that communication is clear and everyone understands their jobs and what needs to be achieved Together. The team members also need to understand that It’s not a one man show, it’s all about team work and this is relevant to both sports and business. Players / Employees need each other to achieve the best. Even if there is a super star or a top performer, one cannot do everything by him/herself. We have seen it with the Algerian team, each player has a strength that is used towards a common “goal” and they all work together and have each other's backs.

3. Succession planning “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”, while succession planning might seem time consuming and requires a lot of planning, it can be detrimental to the future of the company if not implemented properly. A great example is how Djamel Belmadi organized the replacement of each player, the successors for the games have been carefully chosen and were sitting on the bench waiting for their opportunity to play, if someone gets hurt, tired or simply if the strategy needs to be changed quickly then team “B” is ready to take over...and we've seen how amazing team "B" performed in the game against Tanzania. Apply this model to business and you ensure staying in the game for long and winning over the competition.

4. Diversity is a strength not a weakness The Algerian team during this Africa Cup gave the opportunity to see how diversity is positive, it shows that when differences are put together and given a chance the best can be achieved and that by being all together united as one is great after all! Being 100% Algerian, Algerian /French like few of them or Algerian/Congolese like Rais M’Bolhi only brings positives to the team.

5. Attracting returnees is key for African countries There’s a largely untapped source of talented Africans working overseas in general. In football it’s easier to attract them to play for their national team but in business it's a different story. Many of these expatriates are keen to return home but find it difficult to get an interesting assignment with the right remuneration. Global candidates and expatriates in general are particularly valuable because of the experiences they have gained abroad, working in different cultures and environments, and are networked in ways that many of local candidates aren’t because of their exposure to different cultures. So we might learn a lesson from the Africa Cup of nations and go out of our way when attracting African talents! Be more flexible when recruiting and opening the doors to returnees who want to work in their home country.

6. Never too early never too late! What a great example they showed us. It's never too early or never too late to go for what we want....During the match against Nigeria the second goal from Riyad Mahrez came at the last second of the game and during the final match against Senegal the score from Baghdad Bounedjah came at the 2nd minute after the game started. A great lesson not to doubt ourselves and seize the opportunity when it's given to us.

7. Be human There could be more and more areas we can learn from, in such competition winning the Cup is the ultimate goal but winning people's hearts is also very important and that's what the Fennecs did.

They showed how human and sensitive they were, they played with the heart and showed us what team work is all about. We have all seen what Baghdad Bounedjah went through when he missed the penalty against Cote d’Ivoire, No one was to blame for a missed opportunity and they were all in it together, and a quote from Belmadi below shows how important compassionate leadership is in challenging times.

"Bounedjah is one of the best strikers I have ever coached. Missing a penalty is not the end of the world. On the contrary, I insisted that he plays the whole game. I spoke to him after we won to condoles him, as he entered in a crying spell after the game. I am confident he will play a big role in winning the AFCON title and will present a top performance against Senegal"

I chose a couple of pictures to summarize the article as a "a picture is worth a thousand words"