Foot/ Ligue 1 Mobilis (USM Alger) : Mohamed Lacet nouvel entraîneur-adjoint
Summary of Recent Changes at USM Alger Football Club
The USM Alger football club has officially appointed Mohamed Lacet as the new assistant coach. This decision comes as the club seeks to finalize an agreement with a new head coach to lead the team for the remainder of the season. An announcement was made on the club’s official Facebook page on Monday, detailing Lacet’s appointment within the technical staff of the first team.
This transition occurs shortly after USM Alger amicably parted ways with Brazilian coach Marcos Paqueta, aged 66. The dismissal followed the team’s recent elimination in the quarter-finals of the African Confederation Cup, where they faced CS Constantine. The matches ended in a draw (1-1 for both the first and second legs), resulting in a penalty shoot-out loss (3-4).
In the interim, Sofiane Benkhelifa, the club’s technical director for youth categories, took charge of the first team during a recent match where they suffered a 1-2 defeat against ASO Chlef at the 5-Juillet Stadium, during a rescheduled 21st matchday. The training session on Sunday was overseen by Rabie Meftah, the coach of the reserve team.
Mohamed Lacet, 58, has a rich background in coaching, having served in various roles both as a head coach and an assistant in several local clubs. Most notably, he worked with JS Kabylie earlier this season and has experience coaching national youth teams at the U17 and U20 levels.
Currently, USM Alger ranks sixth in the Ligue 1 standings with 33 points, lagging ten points behind third-place JS Kabylie. They have one match in hand, which is set to take place on May 23 against their rivals, MC Alger, for the 22nd matchday. Despite being distanced in the title race, the "Rouge et Noir" have the opportunity to salvage their season by competing in the Algerian Cup final against CR Belouizdad.
In conclusion, while USM Alger navigates coaching changes and seeks to stabilize its performance, the club remains focused on its upcoming challenges, including the possibility of securing silverware in the domestic cup competition. The leadership of Lacet may provide the necessary impetus for the team’s revival.
