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.
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[edit] History
[edit] Beginning
In 1897, while Algeria is a French department since 1830, The first Algerian club was born in Oran, Club Association Liberté d'Oran (CAL Oran), it is created by European settlers in the neighborhood El-Derb of Oran under the name Club Association d'Oran. This is the first club 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), wich 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.
[edit] After Independance
The Algeria Football Federation was founded in 1963 in order to organize national competitions and international matchs. The first national championship and the cup start immediately after independence in 1962.
[edit] The national teams
[edit] FLN 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 essentialy 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.
[edit] Algeria national team
After independance 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, and 2010.
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" [4] · .[5]
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 extraction, most notably Zinedine Zidane.
[edit] Clubs
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[edit] References
- ^ "Sports in Algeria". Africa Profile. 2006. http://www.africaprofile.com/algeria-sports.html. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
- ^ "Club de football d'Oran". footballogue.com. http://www.footballogue.com/club-oran-288.html. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
- ^ "L'histoire du Club Sportif Constantinois". Constantine: CS Constantine website. 2011. http://www.csconstantine.net/histoire-club-sportif-constantinois.html. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
- ^ "World Cup Tales: The Shame Of Gijon, 1982". London: twohundredpercent. 9 May 2010. http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=6088. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
- ^ "The day in 1982 when the world wept for Algeria". London: The Guardian. 13 June 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/13/1982-world-cup-algeria. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
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