Saadane was being hailed in Algeria as a hero after steering the team to their first World Cup appearance in 24 years.

Algeria were ousted from the first round but the real problem came after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Tanzania last week in the in the African Cup qualifiers.

"The players were playing under huge pressure," Saadane told Saudi newspaper Al-Watan. "They were afraid of the supporters' reaction in case they failed to win."

Algerian supporters are famous of being hot-headed. Algerian League games are usually accompanied with riots, leaving tens of fans injured and killed every year.

"The press also played a role. They dubbed the players as defeatists, which they don't deserve," he added.

Algeria and Tanzania compete in Group D alongside Morocco and Central Africa, who settled for a 1-1 draw as well.