Algeria coach calls it quits

Mehdi Benatia and Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh scored during the first half in Marrakech and Youssouf Hadji and Oussama Assaidi struck within nine minutes after the break to complete an unexpectedly one-sided triumph.

It was sweet revenge for Morocco under Belgian coach Eric Gerets after a 1-0 away loss to its North African neighbour in the qualifying competition three months ago.

Benchikha, who previously coached clubs in his homeland, Qatar, and Tunisia and the Algerian Olympic team, survived just three competitive matches after succeeding veteran Rabah Saadane in October last year.

Saadane quit after a 1-1 home draw with Tanzania in the opening 2012 Cup of Nations qualifier and Benchikha made a disastrous debut as the Desert Foxes crashed 2-0 away to minnow Central African Republic.

The home win over Morocco offered hope Algeria could mount a serious challenge for Group D honours, but the Marrakech mauling leaves it with little hope of reaching Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next year.

Morocco has seven points and Central African Republic, Tanzania and Algeria four each, with only the group winner guaranteed a place at the biennial 16-nation African football showcase.

Gerets has vowed to win titles for Morocco, whose only Cup of Nations title came 35 years ago in Ethiopia when just eight teams competed and a mini-league format was used throughout the competition for the only time.

"I won a lot of titles as a footballer and a coach and I want to win titles with the Moroccan team, too," the former Belgium international said after his appointment.

He won league titles with Lierse and Club Bruges in Belgium, PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Galatasaray in Turkey and also coached French outfit Marseille before moving to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.