ALGIERS — Frenchman Christian Gourcuff was named the new coach of Algeria Saturday, replacing Vahid Halilhodzic who took it to the second round of the World Cup in Brazil last month. Gourcuff had long been earmarked to take over after Brazil but was only formally confirmed after a meeting of the Algerian Football Federation leadership in Algiers Saturday. The 59-year-old Frenchman will start the job on Aug. 1 and has been given a contract until the end of the next World Cup in Russia, said a federation statement. It means he will also be in charge for the next two African Nations Cups in 2015 and 2017 as well. Gourcuff was last coach of Lorient. — Reuters