Football in Algeria

Football in Algeria is the country's most popular sport.[1] The country's top domestic league is organised into two national divisions, the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 and the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 2, overseen by the Algerian Football Federation.

History

Beginning

In 5 February 1897, during the French Algeria era, the first Algerian club was formed in Oran. Club Athlétique Liberté d'Oran (CAL Oran), was founded by European settlers in the neighborhood Saint-Antoine of Oran under the name Club Athlétique d'Oran. It was followed in the same year by the Club des Joyeusetés d'Oran, also formed by European settlers in the neighborhood El-Derb of Oran. These are the first clubs in the country and all Africa.[2] Other clubs will follow later, and will be created in various cities including Oran.

In 1898 was created the first Muslim club, CS Constantine was born in Constantine under the name of IKBAL Emancipation.[3]

In 1911 the French Football Federation creates a North African Championship representing the third French division (honor league), which became an official competition in 1921 after creation in 1920 of the three regional leagues in Oran, Algiers and Constantine, the winner of each league qualify to a North African Championship.

After independence

The Algeria Football Federation was founded in 1963 in order to organize national competitions and international matches. The first national championship and the cup start immediately after independence in 1962.

Club football

List of football clubs in Algeria by major honours won

This is a list of every Algerians association football club to have won any of the major domestic competitions (organized by LFP and FAF) and international trophies (organized by CAF and FIFA).

Key

National competitions:

African competitions:

Worldwide competitions:

Worldwide competitions:

Rank Club ALP LC AC ASC CL CCC CCWC CAC CSC AAC UAC Total Last honour
1JS Kabylie 14-512-13---262010-11 Algerian Cup
2MC Alger 72731------202014 Algerian Super Cup
3ES Sétif 6-8-2---112202015 CAF Super Cup
4USM Alger 6-81------1162013–14 Ligue 1
5CR Belouizdad 6161-------142008-09 Algerian Cup
6MC Oran 414-------3121999 Arab Super Cup
7USM El Harrach 1-2--------31997–98 Championnat National
8WA Tlemcen --2-------132001–02 Algerian Cup
9ASO Chlef 1-1--------22010–11 Ligue 1
10NA Hussein Dey1-1--------21978-79 Algerian Cup
11Hamra Annaba 1-1--------21971-72 Algerian Cup
12RC Kouba 1--1-------21981 Algerian Super Cup
13US Chaouia 1--1-------21994 Algerian Super Cup
14MO Constantine1----------11991–92 Championnat National
15CS Constantine1----------11996–97 Championnat National
16USM Bel-Abbès --1--------11990–91 Algerian Cup
17JSM Béjaïa --1--------12007–08 Algerian Cup
18CR Béni Thour --1--------12000–01 Algerian Cup
19MC Saida --1--------11964–65 Algerian Cup
20DNC Alger --1--------11981–82 Algerian Cup

National teams

FLN team

Main article: FLN football team

In 1958, a representative selection of Algeria's National Team (FLN football team) is secretly created by the National Liberation Front (FLN) to serve the cause of Algeria. it is composed essentially of professional players who play in the French league such Rachid Mekhloufi. The team played its first international game in a group test before its creation in 1957 in Tunis against Tunisia. Its played several friendly matches with high level national teams and clubs.

Algeria national team

After independence in 1962, Algeria's national team replace the FLN football team. This team saw its period of greatest success in the 1980s with great players such Lakhdar Belloumi, Rabah Madjer, Salah Assad. Algeria qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 1982 and 1986, 2010 and 2014 and qualified to second round in 2014 World Cup after defeating 4-2 South Korea and 1-1 drawing with Russia. The team was eliminated by Germany, crowned as champions by a 2-1 score at extra time.

During the 1982 tournament, Algeria managed a surprise defeat of West Germany in their first ever World Cup game and thus became the first African team to defeat European opposition at the World Cup, but were eliminated after the so-called "Shame of Gijón".[5][6]

Due to Algeria's historic ties with France, there have been a number of Algerian players playing professionally in the French leagues, while the French national team has included players of Algerian heritage, most notably Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri.[7]

Future for the Algerians Program

Stadiums in Algeria
Stade 5 Juillet 1962
Capacity: 68,000
 
Stade 19 Mai 1956
Capacity: 50,000
 
Stade Mohamed Hamlaoui
Capacity: 35,000
 
Stade Mustapha Tchaker
Capacity: 35,000
 

Clubs

References

  1. "Sports in Algeria". Africa Profile. 2006. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  2. "Club de football d'Oran". footballogue.com. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  3. "L'histoire du Club Sportif Constantinois". Constantine: CS Constantine website. 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
  4. From 1992 to 2000, the League Cup was determined in a knock-out competition called Coupe de la Ligue d'Algérie de football.
  5. "World Cup Tales: The Shame Of Gijon, 1982". London: twohundredpercent. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  6. "The day in 1982 when the world wept for Algeria". London: The Guardian. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  7. "For Algeria, football remains a fault line with France". America.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 December 2014.