MC Oran

Mouloudia Club d'Oran (Arabic: نادي مولودية وهران, English: Mouloudia Club of Oran), referred to as MC Oran or MCO for short, is a football club based in Oran in Algeria. MC Oran is also a multi-sports club and it's also known by it handball team. It's founded in 1946, MC Oran was the only club to have Algerian disputed till 2008 all of the national championship seasons of first division (D1) since 1963, at its launch. However, the team was finally relegated at the end of the 2007/2008 season, finishing 13th in the 16-team league but the club return after only one season into the first division.

History

Biginning

The Mouloudia Club of Oran was born the night of May 14, 1946, some nationalist activists decided to create the team of Mouloudia, a Muslim club in the district of El Hamri (former Lamur) in Oran to compete with European clubs of the moments when Algeria was a French district (French Algeria). The creation of the club will be achieved especialy by Mohamed Bessol (22 years), he will be a player, coach and general secretary of the club until 1967 and Ali Bentouti. Other founding members are Rouane Serik Boutaleb, Mohamed Serradj, Hadj Abouna, Ali Tounsi, Belaid Bachir, Bensenouci Mahi well Bloufa Benhadad, Mahmoud Benahmed, Miloud Bendraoui, Miloud Cherigui, Ali Aroumia, Omar Abouna, Kada Fali and other that will remain forever etched in our memories.

The founding ceremony of Mouloudia was attended by Sheikh Said Zamouchi delegated by the influential Sheikh Si Tayeb Al Mahaji (imam, writer and member of the Association des oulémas musulmans algériens) led by Sheikh Abdelhamid Ben Badis.

The name of the Mouloudia was inspired by the celebration of Mawlid (Prophet Mohammed's birth), the date of its creation coincided with the celebration of Mawlid.

Mouloudia Club d'Oran began his first competition, the 1946-1947 season in the third division of the regional championship of the League of Oran (3F/O) as the regulation of the France Football Federation suggests. The course of the club from 1946 to 1956 is unknown. However from 1956 to 1962 (the independance year of Algeria), the MC Oran block all its sports activities by order of the FLN.

After independence

The Mouloudia Club of Oran start in the first competition of independent Algeria in 1962-1963 season, it qualified for the final tournament of the championship for the first two seasons 1962-1963 and 1963-1964 which were composed of three groups (Algiers, Oran and Constantine), he finished second in the group of Oran in both seasons, unfortunately not a qualifying place for the semi-finals, but this place already earned him a status of a club to fear. because in the seasons to follow, it will be runner-up twice consecutively in 1968 and 1969 with Abdelkader Freha top scorer in both seasons.

The club has a great history, especially during the golden years (70', 80' and the 90'), it have many great Algerian football players and even Africa, like Lakhdar Belloumi, Tedj Bensaoula, Karim Maroc, as well as children of the club for generations as Abdelkader Freha, Sid Ahmed Belkedrouci, Miloud Hadefi, Tahar Cherif El-Ouazzani, Abdelhafid Tasfaout ...etc. During all this time, the club had won many national and international titles,

Crest

MC Oran has had some crests in its history. The first, adopted in the 70th, lasted until the national sports reform by the Algerian governement in 1977. The second crest was used from this reform when the national companies taked the diffirent Algerians clubs in 1977 until 1989 when MC Oran taken by Naftal was called MP Oran (Mouloudia Pétrolière d'Oran), From 1989, the national companies retired from the Clubs, the club takes its old name MC Oran (Mouloudia Club d'Oran), however there was various creps from this year till now but there was one more famouse and credible crest.

Stadium

The club, one of the most popular in Algeria, plays at the Ahmed Zabana Stadium (40,000 capacity), in the popular district of El Hamri. The team supporters are nicknamed Hamraoua (named after the neighbourhood), and the team's colors are red and white.

Honours

MC Oran is one of the most successful teams of Algeria. it's also one of the great teams of the Arab world and Africa.^[1]

National titles

• Algerian Championnat National: 4

Champion: 1971, 1988, 1992, 1993

Second: 1968, 1969, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000

• Algerian Cup: 4

Winner: 1975, 1984, 1985, 1996

Finalist: 1998, 2002

• Algerian League Cup: 1

Winner: 1996

Finalist: 2000

• Algerian Super Cup:

Finalist: 1992

International titles

• CAF Champions League:

Finalist: 1989

• Arab Champions League:

Finalist: 2001

• Arab Cup Winners' Cup: 2

Winner: 1997, 1998

• Arab Super Cup: 1

Winner: 1999

Performance in International competitions

Performance in CAF competitions

• CAF Champions League: 3 appearances

1989: Finalist

1993: Quarter-Finals

1994: Semi-Finals

• CAF Confederation Cup: 1 appearance

2005 – Second round

• CAF Cup: 2 appearances

1996 – Quarter-Finals

1998 – First round

• CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 3 appearances

1985 – Second round

1986 – Second round

1997 – Quarter-Finals

Performance in UAFA competitions

• Arab Champions League: 4 appearances

1988: Preliminary round

2001: Runner-up

2004: 1st round

2008: 1st round

• Arab Cup Winners' Cup: 2 appearance

1997 – Winner

1998 – Winner

• Arab Super Cup: 2 appearances

1998 – 4th place

1999 – Winner

International statistics

CAF statistics

UAFA statistics

Current squad

As of September 7, 2011.^[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Reserve team

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Current Technical Staff

Notable players

For a complete list of MC Oran players, see Category:MC Oran players.

Below is a list of the legendary history player of MC Oran.^[3]

Captains

Managers

Presidents

Sponsors

Equipement

MC Oran signed for 2011-2012 season a contract with french sports firm Baliston for the latter to provide jerseys and team equipment to the team.

The old equipment was made by German firm Addidas.

References

External links

• (French) Official website
• (French) Official fans website
• (Arabic) El-Hamrawa – forum website