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Football in Algeria (soccer) is the country's most popular sport. 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

On 11 April 1882, during the French occupation of Algeria era, the first Algerian club was formed in Oran. L'Oranaise Club was founded by European settlers, it's one of the first clubs in all Africa continent. On 5 February 1894, Club des Joyeusetés d'Oran, was founded in the neighborhood El-Derb of Oran. It was followed in the same year by the Club Athlétique Liberté d'Oran (CAL Oran), formed in 1897 by European settlers too in the neighborhood Saint-Antoine of Oran under the name Club Athlétique d'Oran. These are the first clubs in the country and the Maghreb. 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.

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 Algerian Football Federation was founded in 1963 in order to organise national competitions and international matches. The first national championship and the cup started immediately after independence in 1962.

Club football

List of football clubs in Algeria by major honours won

Before independence period (French Algeria)

Below is a list of football clubs in Algeria before independence. It contains all clubs that have played in different French Algerian leagues divisions before 1962, the independence year of Algeria. Most of the clubs that were founded by the European settlers were dissolved in 1962.

After independence period (Algeria)

Below is a list of football clubs in Algeria. It contains all clubs that have played in different Algerian leagues divisions since 1962, the independence year of Algeria. However most of teams were founded before this year.

Non-CAF competition

The 1982 African Super Cup is a match which took place on January 25, 1982 during the Tournament of Fraternity in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. JS Kabylie won this trophy against the Cameroonians of Union Douala. The newspaper France Football commented on this event of the birth of the brand new African Super Cup.

Legends

National teams

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 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".

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

Future for the Algerians Program

• Stade du 5 Juillet
  Capacity: 64,000
• 19 May 1956 Stadium
  Capacity: 56,000
• 24 February 1956 Stadium
  Capacity: 45,000
• Ahmed Zabana Stadium
  Capacity: 40,000
• Mustapha Tchaker Stadium
  Capacity: 25,000
• Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium
  Capacity: 22,986

Clubs

See also

• List of football stadiums in Algeria

References

1. "Sports in Algeria". Africa Profile. 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
2. "L'Oranaise (1882-1932), le cinquantenaire de la doyenne de nos sociétés Nord-Africaines". L'Écho d'Oran. 1932-04-11.
3. "Club de football d'Oran". footballogue.com. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
4. "L'histoire du Club Sportif Constantinois". Constantine: CS Constantine website. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-01-26. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
5. "Tournament of Fraternity 1982". Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
6. "SI ! La JSK a gagné la Supercoupe d'Afrique". 25 February 2015.
7. Dale, Penny (January 7, 2017). "How football helped Algeria's liberation movement" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
8. "World Cup Tales: The Shame Of Gijon, 1982". London: twohundredpercent. 9 May 2010. Archived from the original on 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
9. "The day in 1982 when the world wept for Algeria". London: The Guardian. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
10. "For Algeria, football remains a fault line with France". America.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 21 December 2014.

External links

• FAF official website
• LFP official website

v t e Football in Algeria
Algerian Football Federation
National teams	Men Men's Men's A' Men's Olympic (U-23) Men's U-20 Men's U-18 Men's U-17 Men's U-15 Men's Futsal Men's Beach Soccer Women Women's Women's U-20 Women's U-17 Defunct ALN team FLN team
League system	Men Ligue de Football Professionnel Ligue Pro. 1 Ligue Nationale Amateur Ligue 2 LIRF Inter-Régions Ligues Régionales Régional I Régional II Ligues de Wilayas DH DPH Ligue Nationale de Futsal Futsal Ch. Women Ligue Nationale du Football Féminin Elite National Champ. D1 National Champ. D2 National Champ.
Domestic cups	Men Algerian Cup Algerian U21 Cup Super Cup League Cup (defunct) Women W. Cup W. League Cup W. Super Cup
Awards	Footballer of the Year Ligue 1 top goalscorers
Lists	All-time Table Champions Clubs International footballers Foreign players Venues
Rivalries	Classico algérien Algiers Derby Clasico kabylo-algérois CR Belouizdad–USM Alger ES Sétif–USM Alger MC Oran–CR Belouizdad Mouloudia clasico MC Oran–USM Alger rivalry
Men's clubs Women's clubs Men's players Women's players Expatriate players Managers Referees Venues Seasons Records Algerian foreign players

• Football in Algeria