Algeria national football team
1029528
225241278
2008-07-12T17:20:15Z
79.68.2.159
/* Current Squad */
{{Infobox National football team |
Name = Algeria |
Badge = Algeria FA.gif |
FIFA Trigramme = ALG |
FIFA Rank = 93 |
Confederation = [[Confederation of African Football|CAF]] ([[Africa]]) |
FIFA max = 30 |
FIFA max date = September 1993 |
FIFA min = 103 |
FIFA min date = May 2008 |
Elo Rank = 105 |
Elo max = 16|
Elo max date = November 1967|
Elo min = 105 |
Elo min date = July 2008|
Nickname = Les Fennecs<br>(''The Desert Foxes'') |
Association = [[Fédération Algérienne de Football]] |
Coach = {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Saadane]] |
Captain = [[Yazid Mansouri]] |
Most caps = [[Mahieddine Meftah]] (107)|
Top scorer = [[Rabah Madjer]] (40) |
Home Stadium = [[Stade 5 Juillet 1962]] |
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_thingreensides|pattern_ra1=|
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF|
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_thinwhitesides|pattern_ra2=|
leftarm2=00B000|body2=00B000|rightarm2=00B000|shorts2=00B000|socks2=00B000|
First game = {{Flagicon|Tunisia}} [[Tunisia national football team|Tunisia]] 1 - 2 Algeria {{Flagicon|Algeria}} <br/>([[Tunisia]]; [[1 June]], [[1957]]) |
Largest win = {{Flagicon|Algeria}} Algeria 15 - 1 [[South Yemen national football team|South Yemen]] {{Flagicon|South Yemen}} <br/>([[Libya]]; [[17 August]], [[1973]]) |
Largest loss = {{Flagicon|East Germany}} [[East Germany national football team|East Germany]] 5 - 0 Algeria {{Flagicon|Algeria}} <br/>([[Cottbus]], [[East Germany]]; [[21 April]], [[1976]]) |
World cup apps = 2 |
World cup first = 1982 |
World cup best = Round 1, [[Football World Cup 1982|1982]] and [[Football World Cup 1986|1986]] |
Regional name = [[African Nations Cup]] |
Regional cup apps = 13 |
Regional cup first = [[1968 African Nations Cup|1968]] |
Regional cup best = Winners, [[1990 African Nations Cup|1990]]
}}
The '''Algeria national football team''', nicknamed ''Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)'', is the national team of [[Algeria]] and is controlled by the [[Fédération Algérienne de Football]]. It made two consecutive [[Football World Cup|World Cups]] in [[Football World Cup 1982|1982]] and [[Football World Cup 1986|1986]].
==History==
The Algerian national team was formed in clandestine circumstances in [[1958]] when [[Mohamed Boumezrag]], a leader of a section of the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|Front de Libération Nationale]] (FLN) of [[Algeria]] based in metropolitan [[France]], returned from the [[1957]] [[World Youth Festival]]. Using the contacts he had made during the tournament, Boumezrag recruited ten of the best-known French-based Algerian professional players to secretly leave the country and go to [[Tunisia]] where the Algerian national team was formally established on [[April 13]]. The world football governing body [[FIFA]] later announced after protest from the [[French Football Federation]], that any team that played the Algerians would be expelled from the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], while the French government succeeded in arresting other players who tried to leave the country to join the team. Despite these obstacles, the Algerian FLN team played 91 matches over the next four years and helped win international recognition for the [[Algerian War| Algerian struggle for independence]].
===Ambassadors of the Algerian Revolution===
Two months before the beginning of the [[1958 World Cup]] in [[Sweden]], 30 professional players in the [[French football league system|French league]] left l'Hexagone in successive waves to join the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)| FLN]]. A grand gesture from the founders of the future Algerian national team.
The idea to create this revolutionary team, which would become the ambassadors of [[Algeria]] until the end of the [[Algerian War|war]] in [[1962]], was born in [[1957]] with the return of [[Mohamed Boumezrag]] from the [[World Youth Festival]] in [[Moscow]]. Holding up the green and white flag, a football team had represented Algerian sports at the event. Boumezrag had remembered that, a few years back on [[November 1]], [[1954]], a team of North African players had beaten [[France national football team| France]] by 3 goals to nil in a benefit match organized for the victims of the [[Orléansville earthquake]] (a city now known as [[Ech-Cheliff]]), which had killed 1,460 people two months earlier. The select team included [[Morocco national football team|Moroccan]] duo [[Larbi Ben Barek]][and defender [[Abderrahman Mahjoub]] and Algerians [[Mokhtar Arribi]], [[Said Brahimi]] and [[Abderrahmane Boubekeur]].
With Mokhtar Arribi, the trainer of [[Avignon]], [[Abdelaziz Bentifour]], [[Doctor Moulay]], who organised the Algerian students, and [[Mohamed Maouche]] of [[Stade Reims]] who was also pre-selected for the [[1958 World Cup| World Cup]] started to develop the operational departure for [[Tunis]]. At the beginning, the plan set up by the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] was meticulous and without any faults, in diverting all the police monitoring systems. Thus, after the contacts undertaken by Arribi and Boumezrag, all the steps were taken by all, one by one in forecast of the "departure" which was planned for Monday [[April 12]], [[1958]]. A rigorous monitoring of the players was established as it was during the period of the assimilation of "French-Muslims" preached by the presidents of the French clubs. Monitoring their movements, contacts, and rigorous border checks, however without any conclusive results. Ten players found themselves in [[Tunis]] and constituted the heart of the FLN team.
Two groups of players were to leave [[France]] at the same hour but from different borders. The Northern group was composed of [[Abdelhamid Kermali]], [[Mokhtar Arribi]], [[Abdelhamid Bouchouk]], [[Rachid Mekhloufi]] and [[Said Brahimi]] all at the Swiss border. The second group that went by the French-Italian border included [[Abderrahmane Boubekeur]], [[Mustapha Zitouni]], [[Abdelaziz Bentifour]], [[Kaddour Bekhloufi]] and [[Amar Rouaï]].
[[AS Monaco|Monaco]]’s Bentifour, who said he was sick to miss his club’s match with [[Angers]] in which he was named as substitute against [[Angers]], left first for [[San Remo]] in [[Italy]] on Friday. Two days later, the three other [[AS Monaco|Monaco]] players left with Rouaï for [[Rome]]. By Monday, they would be the first five Algerian footballers to landing at [[Tunis Airport]].
The five men met up in [[Tunis]] where they were joined by four other players who would pass through [[Switzerland]], after a hitch, as Mekhloufi was hospitalized in [[Saint-Etienne]]. The player had been injured on Sunday [[April 13th]] in the last minute of his club’s 2-1 loss to [[Béziers]], a match in which he scored his team’s only goal in the 80th minute. He had collided with team-mate [[Eugène Njo Léa]] and was suffering from a concussion, he spent 36 hours in hospital.
It is on the way towards the border that they learn that their escape is known to people in [[France]]. They managed to get to [[Switzerland]] but forget to meet Maouche who was in [[Lausanne]] and without any information on the departed player, he decided to return to [[Paris]], there he learns that his friends have gone. He tries to return to [[Switzerland]] but was stopped and imprisoned. The incident will not prevent him from continuing to organize the departure of other players by [[November 2]], [[1958]], there were 30 in [[Tunis]].
==="Footballers of the Revolution"===
After the overcoming the difficulties and obstacles in [[Switzerland]] and [[Italy]], the players finally arrived to [[Tunis]] and were joined later by [[Mohamed Maouche]] who had been arrested after being charged and imprisoned for three months. Two groups of players later joined the first in [[1959]] and [[1960]], and all together they would carry the torch of the [[Algerian War|Algerian Revolution]] by defending the colours of the their nation.
From [[Africa]] to [[Far East Asia]], the national anthem "[[Kassaman]]" would be sang out loud with the ‘green and red emblem’ and ‘the red crescent and the star’ known to the people of the world. The [[French Football Federation]] asked the world football governing body [[FIFA]] to stop the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] matches but the team continued playing.
The technical director of the team was former [[FC Red Star Belgrade|Red Star]] player [[Mohamed Boumezrag]] and the training was carried out by 34 year-old Arribi in a player-coach role and [[Abdelaziz Bentifour]] and later by former [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] duo [[Abderrahmane Ibrir]] and [[Said Haddad]]. The first official match of the national team of the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] was against the great [[Tunisia national football team| Tunisian national team]], who were finalists in the [[Pan-Arab Games]] in [[Beirut]] a year before, the result was a surprising one for the observers... 8-0 to the Greens! The Algerian national team was born, thanks to Boubekeur, Zitouni, Rouaï, Bekhloufi, Maouche, Arribi, Bentifour, Brahimi, Mekhloufi, Bouchouk and Kermali.. Who revealed the true potential of [[football in Algeria|Algerian football]] and become the traveling ambassadors of [[Algeria]]. From [[Belgrade]] to [[Hanoi]] while passing through [[Prague]], [[Sofia]], [[Bucharest]], [[Peking]], [[Baghdad]]... they did wonders... with the ball!
Against [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]], they had a "revolutionary" win, 6-1 in favour of the Algerians. In [[Vietnam]] where the team played several matches, the Algerian sportsmen were received by President [[Ho Chi Minh]]. While in [[China]], the team met the [[Premier of the People's Republic of China]] [[Chou En-Lai]]. In [[Baghdad]], the Iraqi fans went delirious as they invaded the pitch "Congratulations to those who succeeded by the means of sports to tarnish the image of colonial [[France]]..." declared the Baghdadis.
And it is at the time of the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]]-[[Iraq]] match which was held in [[Baghdad]] in February [[1959]], that for the first time, the [[Algerian flag]] was hoisted and their national anthem ‘[[Kassaman]]’ was sung. Invited to attend the match, was the ambassador of [[France]] who had hastily left before the game as a sign of protest. It was one memorable day, as the team of the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] had affirmed the colours of the national team of Algeria. That day, the [[mujahideen]]-footballers represented their nation with dignity, as they beat the [[iraq national football team|Iraqi team]] 3-0.
[[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]’s star midfielder [[Edison Eshay]] recalls the build up to the event and the game itself. "I remember when we heard that the Algerian team was coming to [[Baghdad]], we knew that in the team there were professional players from the French league. I remember we prepared hard to meet t his challenge. I remember it was one of my best games, we played the best we could, but we could not stop the Algerian players. I also remember Jamoli, our captain & center back played one of his best games. If you think about it, that's about 50 years ago. To me it’s like it was yesterday!! I also know that they were received by the Iraqis like heroes. The fans went crazy that day!
===Missing Players===
'''Ten Muslim professional footballers are reported missing", announce the French media.'''
On [[April 15]], [[1958]], French football fans awoke to the news to the headlines at the newsstands. [[L'Équipe]]: " Nine Algerien footballers disappear."
At the time, fifty-three professional footballers playing in [[Ligue 1|D1]] and [[Ligue 2|D2]] were of Algerian origin, nine were among the best in [[France]], their defection to [[Algeria]] shocked French fans.
French newspaper [[Paris-Match]] devoted a special part to [[Mustapha Zitouni]], the pillar of the [[AS Monaco|Monaco]] defence and [[France national football team|France]], who was to play on Wednesday in a friendly match against [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]] in preparation for the [[1958 World Cup]] in [[Sweden]]. His absence was a big loss to [[France national football team|Les Bleus]]. Like fellow Algerian [[Rachid Mekhloufi]], champion of France in 1957 with [[AS Saint-Étienne]], another player included in the French squad. After the news of their defection, [[L'Équipe]]: had this comment: "L'équipe de France remains, even if the word France takes a more narrow meaning." A few days before "the escape" from [[France]], [[Paul Nicolas]], the national coach of France, who qualified for the [[1958 World Cup|World cup]] in [[Sweden]], named a list of 40 players pre-selected to form part of the "22" leaving for [[Stockholm]]. On the list appeared the best central defender in the French league, the Algerian [[Mustapha Zitouni]] and his compatriot [[Rachid Mekhloufi]], considered by many as the best playmaker in France. These two players were to play for [[France national football team|France]] against [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]] on Wednesday [[April 16]] at [[Parc des Princes]] (The game ended 0-0). The news of their disappearance spread around the world from the radio waves to the TV screens, its effect was like a bomb: Ten Muslim professional players were reported missing. Among them were four internationals - [[Abdelaziz Bentifour]], [[Mustapha Zitouni]], [[Rachid Mekhloufi]] and [[Mohamed Maouche]] - who played for [[OGC Nice]], [[AS Monaco]], [[AS Saint-Etienne]] and [[Stade Reims]], respectively. On [[April 14]], [[1958]], [[France]] learned about the strange disappearance of [[Rachid Mekhloufi]] of [[AS Saint-Etienne]], a player who had helped [[France nationa football team|France]] qualify for the [[1958 World Cup]] and was one of the 40 pre-selected for the championship in [[Sweden]], along with [[Mustapha Zitouni]], [[Abderrahmane Boubekeur]], [[Abdelaziz Bentifour]] and [[Kaddour Bekhloufi]], all four from [[AS Monaco|Monaco]], [[Amar Rouaï]] of [[Angers]], [[Stade Reims]] player [[Mohamed Maouche]], [[Abdelhamid Bouchouk]] and [[Saïd Brahimi]] of [[Toulouse FC]] and [[Abdelhamid Kermali]] of l'[[Olympique Lyonnais]].
The 10 Algerian players who had decided to travel to [[Tunis]] where the [[provisional Government of the Algerian Republic]] ‘Gouvernement provisoire de la République algérienne’ (GPRA) was installed, left promising careers behind them.
"I did not hesitate" declared [[Rachid Mekhloufi]], the star of the FLN team.
Mekhloufi was a world-class footballer. "It was very quickly clear", says [[Jean Snella]], his coach at [[AS Saint-Etienne]] and [[Servette FC]] in [[Switzerland]]. "He was one of these athletes made for football. He was able by his intelligence and his tricky, to draw in his opponent on false tracks.
"To create the unexpected, that he has, is the secret of great footballers. Mekhloufi is the King of the unexpected", confirms [[Robert Herbin]], a former team-mate.
"You know, people’s reasons today in terms of career, accolades and money... The [[1958 World Cup|World Cup]], of course, I thought of it, but it was nothing compared to the independence of my country " Mekhloufi adds.
The [[National Liberation Front|FLN]] did not know about the initiative at first. The [[Armée de Libération Nationale]] (ALN) already had their own football team made up of amateurs playing in [[Tunis]]. However, [[Ferhat Abbas]], president of the [[provisional Government of the Algerian Republic|GPRA]], would very quickly understand the importance of a team which would represent the nation abroad. "The image of people fighting for their independence", the team of the FLN which would be covered with glory between [[1958]] and [[1962]] playing 91 matches, with 65 victories, 13 draws and 13 defeats, scoring 385 goals and conceding 127.
"The Algerian authorities", Mekhloufi tells [[France Football]], "had not thought that we could create a competitive team on a world stage. At the beginning, it acted above all as a political act... But we played against selections of several cities that resembled like two water drops to the national teams. I remember that we beat [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] 6-1. An exploit which marked the spirits. "
Maouche also remembers: "With the passing of time, I can say that none among us have regrets... We were militants, we were revolutionists. I fought for independence... They were beautiful years."
Its not surprising that the first [[President of Algeria|president of the independent Algerian republic]] was himself a footballer. [[Ahmed Ben Bella]], one of the founders of the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] once played for [[Olympique de Marseille]], making his first and only appearance for the famous club on [[April 21]], [[1940]], scoring one of 9 goals in a win over [[FC Antibes]].
From May [[1961]], things started to turn up-side down for the team. The [[Algerian war|war]] raged making it impossible for football to be played. It was proposed to some that the players take up arms before they a re-sent for their last round of matches in [[Libya]]. Certain players wished to return to their clubs, most joined Tunisian clubs as amateurs.
The war ended in March [[1962]], independence was declared on [[July 5]], [[1962]], bringing joy and relief to the players. Oualiken, Bouchouk, Bentifour, Kermali, Zitouni, Bekhloufi, Boubekeur and several others from the old FLN team returned to [[Algeria]] as players and coaches to develop the talent in [[Algeria]].
Players like [[Mohamed Soukhane]], [[Said Amara]] and [[Ahmed Oudjani]] returned to their professional clubs in [[France]]. [[Rachid Mekhloufi]] and [[Mohamed Maouche]] went to [[Switzerland]], Mekhloufi represented for [[FC Servette]], while Maouche was appointed player coach of [[FC Martigny]].
Mekhloufi later returned to [[France]] and won [[AS Saint-Etienne]] club their second league title in [[1964]] (the first was in [[1957]] with Mekhloufi the star of the side). The team had suffered from the Algerian’s absence while he was with the FLN team, he later captained [[AS Saint-Etienne]] to the [[French Cup]] in [[1968]]. 12 years later, he would coach his country at the [[1982 World Cup]] in [[Spain]] as they narrowly missed out on a place in the second round. [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/alg-fln-intres.html]
===World Cup 1982===
In [[El Molinón]] in [[Gijon]],[[Spain]], [[Lakhdar Belloumi]] scored the winner for Algeria against the champions of [[Europe]], [[Germany national football team|West Germany]]. [[Football World Cup 1982|Spain 82]] was littered with shocking results: [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] beating [[Spain national football team|Spain]], [[Cameroon national football team|Cameroon]] team holding [[Italy national football team|Italy]], [[Poland national football team|Poland]] and [[Peru national football team|Peru]] to draws, [[Belgium national football team| Belgium]] beating [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] in the opening game; but nothing beats the majesty of Algeria beating [[Germany national football team|West Germany]].
The Germans were in the midst of an imperious run that would see them reach three straight finals, while bowling all before them with a clinical, meticulous brand of football. Algeria were easy prey, a light "hors d’œuvre" before embarking on the serious games later on. [[Jupp Derwall]] – only [[Germany national football team|West Germany]]’s third coach in forty years – famously said he would jump into the [[Mediterranean]] if Algeria won. They did, and he didn’t. This win was overshadowed by a later result in the same group, arguably almost as shocking.
On the brink of becoming the first African team to reach the second-phase of the [[Football World Cup|World Cup]], Algeria were robbed by the infamous ‘[[Anschluss]]’ game between [[Austria national football team|Austria]] and the same West Germans. That game saw the Germans ‘beat’ the non-trying Austrians 1:0, eliminating Algeria, and forcing [[FIFA]] to change the order games were played in. No longer would matches take place at different times, yet that was no comfort to Algeria. [http://www.planetworldcup.com/GUESTS/matt20030920.html]
== Algerian Football Achievements ==
:'''World Cups:'''
::*2 Times Runners-Up of [[World Military Cup]] (Greece 1969, Germany 2005)
:'''African Competitions:'''
::*1 Time Champion of [[African Cup of Nations]] ([[1990 African Cup of Nations|Algeria 1990]])
::*1 Time Runners-Up [[African Cup of Nations]] ([[1980 African Cup of Nations|Nigeria 1980]])
::*1 Time Champion of [[African Youth Championship]] (1979)
::*1 Time Gold Medalist at [[All Africa Games]] ([[1978 All-Africa Games|Algeria 1978]])
:'''Arab Competitions:'''
::*1 Time Bronze Medalist at the [[Soccer at the Pan Arab Games|Pan Arab Games]] ([[1985 Pan Arab Games|Morocco 1985]])
:'''[[Afro-Asian Cup of Nations]] :'''
::*1 Time Champion (1991)
:'''[[Mediterranean Games]] :'''
::*1 Time Gold Medalist (1975)
== Algerian Club Achievements ==
:'''African :'''
::*4 Times Champions of [[African Champions League]] (1976/81/88/90)
::*1 Time Champions of [[African Cup Winners' Cup]] (1995)
::*3 Times Champions of [[CAF Cup]] (2000/01/02)
::*1 Time Champions of [[Afro-Asian Club Championship|Afro-Asian Cup]] (1989)
:'''Arab :'''
::*3 Times Champions of [[Arab Champions League]] (1998/2007/08)
::*2 Times Champions of [[Arab Cup Winners' Cup]] (1998/99)
::*1 Times Champions of [[Arab Super Cup]] (2000)
==World Cup Record==
*[[Football World Cup 1930|1930]] to [[Football World Cup 1962|1962]] - ''Did not enter''
*[[Football World Cup 1966|1966]] - ''Withdrew''
*[[Football World Cup 1970|1970]] to [[Football World Cup 1978|1978]] - ''Did not qualify''
*[[Football World Cup 1982|1982]] - Round 1
**'''Algeria''' 2-1 [[Germany national football team|West Germany]]
**'''Algeria''' 0-2 [[Austria national football team|Austria]]
**'''Algeria''' 3-2 [[Chile national football team|Chile]]
*[[Football World Cup 1986|1986]] - Round 1
**'''Algeria''' 1-1 [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]]
**'''Algeria''' 0-1 [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]
**'''Algeria''' 0-3 [[Spain national football team|Spain]]
*[[Football World Cup 1990|1990]] to [[Football World Cup 2006|2006]] - ''Did not qualify''
==African Nations Cup Record==
*[[1957 African Nations Cup|1957]] to [[1965 African Nations Cup|1965]] - ''Did not enter''
*[[1968 African Nations Cup|1968]] - Round 1
*[[1970 African Nations Cup|1970]] to [[1978 African Nations Cup|1978]] - ''Did not qualify''
*[[1980 African Nations Cup|1980]] - 2<sup>nd</sup> place
*[[1982 African Nations Cup|1982]] - 4<sup>th</sup> place
*[[1984 African Nations Cup|1984]] - 3<sup>rd</sup> place
*[[1986 African Nations Cup|1986]] - Round 1
*[[1988 African Nations Cup|1988]] - 3<sup>rd</sup> place
*[[1990 African Nations Cup|1990]] - '''Champions'''
*[[1992 African Nations Cup|1992]] - Round 1
*[[1994 African Nations Cup|1994]] - ''Disqualified (for using ineligible player)''
*[[1996 African Nations Cup|1996]] - Quarterfinals
*[[1998 African Nations Cup|1998]] - Round 1
*[[2000 African Nations Cup|2000]] - Quarterfinals
*[[2002 African Nations Cup|2002]] - Round 1
*[[2004 African Nations Cup|2004]] - Quarterfinals
*[[2006 African Nations Cup|2006]] to [[2008 African Nations Cup|2008]]- ''Did not qualify''
==World Cup 2010 and African Nations Cup 2010 (Qualification)==
* [[Algeria national football team| Algeria]]'s journey to attend the [[2010 World Cup]] and [[2010 African Cup of Nations|African Nations Cup 2010]] finals in [[South Africa]] and [[Angola]] respectively. [[Algeria national football team| Algeria]] was drawn in Group 6 along with [[Senegal national football team| Senegal]], the [[Gambia national football team| Gambia]] and [[liberia national football team| Liberia]]. In this first round of qualifying, the group winners and the 8 best runners-up progress to the second qualifying round. Details on format of qualifiers and full group standings for the African continent ([[Confederation Africaine de Football| CAF]]) can be found in the [[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)]] section.
===1st Round Standings (Group 6)===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
|-
!width=165|Team
!width=20|Pts
!width=20|Pld
!width=20|W
!width=20|D
!width=20|L
!width=20|GF
!width=20|GA
!width=20|GD
|- align=center style="background:#ccffcc;"
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|SEN}}
|'''8'''||4||2||2||0||6||3||3
|- align=center style="background:#97DEFF;"
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|ALG}}
|'''6'''||4||2||0||2||4||2||2
|- align=center style="background:pink;"
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|GAM}}
|'''5'''||4||1||2||1||2||2||0
|- align=center style="background:pink;"
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|LBR}}
|'''2'''||4||0||2||2||4||9||-5
|}
===Fixtures and Results===
{{footballbox
|date = [[May 31]], [[2008]]
|team1 = {{fb-rt|SEN}}
|score = 1 – 0
|report =
|team2 = {{fb|ALG}}
|goals1 = [[Abdoulaye Faye]] {{Goal|80}}
|goals2 =
|stadium = [[Stade Leopold Senghor]], [[Dakar]]
|attendance = 50,000
|referee = [[Alex Kotey|Kotey]] ([[Ghana Football Association|Ghana]])
}}
{{footballbox
|date = [[June 6]], [[2008]]
|team1 = {{fb-rt|ALG}}
|score = 3 – 0
|report =
|team2 = {{fb|LBR}}
|goals1 = [[Rafik Djebbour]] {{Goal|15}}<br>[[Karim Ziani]] {{Goal|20}}, {{Goal|48}} pen.
|goals2 =
|stadium = [[Stade Frères Brakni]], [[Blida]]
|attendance = 35,000
|referee = [[Mohamed Ould Lemghambodj|Ould Lemghambodj]] ([[Fédération de Foot-Ball de la Républic Islamique de Mauritanie|Mauritania]])
}}
{{footballbox
|date = [[June 13]], [[2008]]
|team1 = {{fb-rt|GAM}}
|score = 1 – 0
|report =
|team2 = {{fb|ALG}}
|goals1 = [[Tijan Jaiteh]] {{Goal|19}} pen.
|goals2 =
|stadium = [[Independence Stadium (Bakau)|Independence Stadium]], [[Bakau]]
|attendance = 2,000
|referee = [[Koman Coulibaly|Coulibaly]] ([[Fédération Malienne de Football|Mali]])
}}
{{footballbox
|date = [[June 20]], [[2008]]
|team1 = {{fb-rt|ALG}}
|score = 1 – 0
|report =
|team2 = {{fb|GAM}}
|goals1 = [[Antar Yahia]] {{Goal|15}}
|goals2 =
|stadium = [[Stade Frères Brakni]], [[Blida]]
|attendance = 35,000
|referee = [[Gil Ndume|Ndume]] ([[Fédération Gabonaise de Football|Gabon]])
}}
{{footballbox
|date = [[September 5]], [[2008]]
|team1 = {{fb-rt|ALG}}
|score = 0 – 0
|report =
|team2 = {{fb|SEN}}
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = [[Stade 5 Juillet 1962]], [[Algiers]]
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
{{footballbox
|date = [[October 10]], [[2008]]
|team1 = {{fb-rt|LBR}}
|score = 0 – 0
|report =
|team2 = {{fb|ALG}}
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = [[National Complex (Liberia)|National Complex]], [[Monrovia]]
|attendance =
|referee =
}}
==Arab Nations Cup 2009 (Qualification)==
* [[Algeria national football team| Algeria]] received a [[Bye (sports)|bye]] to the second qualifying round of the [[Arab Nations Cup 2009]] .
==Friendlies==
* List of fixtures and results for the year 2008. [http://www.dzfoot.com/en/matchs.php?plout=2007&compet=1]
{{footballbox
| bg = #eeeeee
| date = [[26 March]], [[2008]]
| team1 = {{fb-rt|ALG}}
| score = 1 - 1
| team2 = {{fb-rt|COD}}
| goals1 = [[Kamel Ghilas]] {{goal|90}} pen.
| goals2 = [[Dieumerci Mbokani]] {{goal|24}}
| stadium = [[Stade Maurice Bacquet]], [[Goussainville, Val-d'Oise|Goussainville]]}}
[[Algeria]] Have an agreement with [[United Arab Emirates national football team|UAE]] to play a friendly in [[August]] at some point, the friendly will take place in France and it will be part of Algeria's preparation for the [[2010 World Cup|World cup qualifier]] against [[Senegal national football team|Senegal]] in [[September]]
----
==Squads==
===Current Squad===
* List of the players called up for the game versus [[Senegal national football team|Senegal]] on [[May 31]], [[2008]].
{{nat fs g start}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=GK|name=[[Mohamed Benhamou]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|12|17}}|caps=7|goals=-|club=[[MC Alger]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=GK|name=[[Lounès Gaouaoui]]|age={{birth date and age|1977|9|28}}|caps=33|goals=-|club=[[WA Tlemcen]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=GK|name=[[Mohamed Ousserir]]|age={{birth date and age|1978|2|5}}|caps=4|goals=-|club=[[CR Belouizdad]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Rafik Halliche]]|age={{birth date and age|1986|9|2}}|caps=2|goals=0|club=[[SL Benfica]]|clubnat=Portugal}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Madjid Bougherra]]|age={{birth date and age|1982|10|10}}|caps=21|goals=1|club=[[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]]|clubnat=England}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Anthar Yahia]]|age={{birth date and age|1982|3|21}}|caps=29|goals=2|club=[[VfL Bochum]]|clubnat=Germany}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Mehdi Meniri]]|age={{birth date and age|1977|6|29}}|caps=20|goals=2|club=[[SC Bastia]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Abderraouf Zarabi]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|3|26}}|caps=18|goals=0|club=Free agent}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Féthi Harek]]|age={{birth date and age|1982|10|21}}|caps=1|goals=0|club=[[SC Bastia]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Nadir Belhadj]]|age={{birth date and age|1982|6|18}}|caps=25|goals=3|club=[[RC Lens]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Samir Zaoui]]|age={{birth date and age|1976|6|6}}|caps=15|goals=0|club=[[ASO Chlef]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Slimane Raho]]|age={{birth date and age|1975|10|20}}|caps=36|goals=0|club=[[ES Sétif]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=DF|name=[[Adel Maïza]]|age={{birth date and age|1983|3|18}}|caps=2|goals=0|club=[[ES Sétif]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=MF|name=[[Karim Ziani]]|age={{birth date and age|1982|8|17}}|caps=34|goals=3|club=[[Olympique de Marseille]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=MF|name=[[Yazid Mansouri]]|age={{birth date and age|1978|2|25}}|caps=46|goals=0|club=[[FC Lorient]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=MF|name=[[Yacine Bezzaz]]|age={{birth date and age|1981|8|10}}|caps=9|goals=1|club=[[Valenciennes FC]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=MF|name=[[Lamouri Djediat]]|age={{birth date and age|1981|1|20}}|caps=3|goals=0|club=[[ES Sétif]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=MF|name=[[Khaled Lemmouchia]]|age={{birth date and age|1981|12|6}}|caps=2|goals=0|club=[[ES Sétif]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Brahim Hemdani]]|age={{birth date and age|1978|03|15}}|caps=1|goals=0|club=[[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]|clubnat=Scotland}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=FW|name=[[Rafik Saifi]]|age={{birth date and age|1975|2|7}}|caps=45|goals=15|club=[[FC Lorient]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=FW|name=[[Hameur Bouazza]]|age={{birth date and age|1985|2|22}}|caps=5|goals=1|club=[[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]]|clubnat=England}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=FW|name=[[Rafik Djebbour]]|age={{birth date and age|1984|3|8}}|caps=4|goals=1|club=[[Panionios NFC]]|clubnat=Greece}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=FW|name=[[Karim Matmour]]*|age={{birth date and age|1985|6|25}}|caps=6|goals=0|club=[[SC Freiburg]]|clubnat=Germany}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=FW|name=[[Kamel Ghilas]]*|age={{birth date and age|1984|3|9}}|caps=6|goals=2|club=[[Celta Vigo]]|clubnat=Spain}}
{{nat fs g player|no=|pos=FW|name=[[Nabil Hemani]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|9|1}}|caps=0|goals=0|club=[[JS Kabylie]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g end}}
===Recent Call Up===
* List of players called up during the year 2008 [http://www.dzfoot.com/en/selection_a.php?plout=2007&compet=]
====Goalkeepers====
{| class="wikitable" width=100%
|-
!width=20%|Name
!width=20%|Position
!width=20%|Date of Birth
!width=20%|Place of Birth
!width=20%|Club
|-
| [[Faouzi Chaouchi]] || [[Goalkeeper (football)|Goalkeeper]] || [[December 5]], [[1984]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Bordj Menaïel]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[JS Kabylie]]
|-
| [[Samir Hadjaoui]] || [[Goalkeeper (football)|Goalkeeper]] || [[February 16]], [[1979]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Boufarik]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[ES Setif]]
|-
|}
====Defenders====
{| class="wikitable" width=100%
|-
!width=20%|Name
!width=20%|Position
!width=20%|Date of Birth
!width=20%|Place of Birth
!width=20%|Club
|-
| [[Ismaël Bouzid]] || [[Defender (football)|Defender]] || [[July 21]], [[1983]] || {{flagicon|France}} [[Nancy]] || {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Galatasaray SK]]
|-
| [[Mohamed Rabie Meftah]] || [[Defender (football)|Defender]] || [[May 5]], [[1985]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Tizi Ouzou]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[JS Kabylie]]
|}
====Midfielders====
{| class="wikitable" width=100%
|-
!width=20%|Name
!width=20%|Position
!width=20%|Date of Birth
!width=20%|Place of Birth
!width=20%|Club
|-
| [[Chadli Amri]] || [[Midfielder]] || [[December 14]], [[1984]] || {{flagicon|France}} [[St. Avold]] || {{flagicon|Germany}} [[FSV Mainz 05]]
|-
| [[Salim Arrache]] || [[Midfielder]] || [[July 14]], [[1982]] || {{flagicon|France}} [[Marseille]] || {{flagicon|France}} [[Toulouse FC]]
|}
====Strikers====
{| class="wikitable" width=100%
|-
!width=20%|Name
!width=20%|Position
!width=20%|Date of Birth
!width=20%|Place of Birth
!width=20%|Club
|-
| [[Mansour Boutabout]] || [[Striker]] || [[September 20]], [[1978]] || {{flagicon|France}} [[Le Creusot]] || {{flagicon|France}} [[Angers SCO]]
|-
| [[Noureddine Deham]] || [[Striker]] || [[November 15]], [[1977]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Oran]] || {{flagicon|Germany}} [[FC Kaiserslautern]]
|-
| [[Cheikh Hamidi]] || [[Striker]] || [[April 6]], [[1983]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Saïda]] || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[MC Saïda]]
|}
=== Other eligible players ===
{{nat fs g start}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=GK|name=[[Hicham Mezair]]|age={{birth date and age|1976|10|16}}|caps=30|goals=-|club=[[MC Oran]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=GK|name=[[Mohamed Benhamou]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|12|17}}|caps=7|goals=-|club=[[AS Cannes]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=GK|name=[[Mohamed Amine Zemmamouche]]|age={{birth date and age|1985|01|01}}|caps=-|goals=-|club=[[USM Alger]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=GK|name=[[Mehdi Sennaoui]]|age={{birth date and age|1986|05|05}}|caps=-|goals=-|club=[[Olympique de Marseille]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=DF|name=[[Samir Beloufa]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|08|27}}|caps=9|goals=-|club=[[Helsingborgs IF]]|clubnat=Sweden}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=DF|name=[[Ahmed Reda Madouni]]|age={{birth date and age|1980|10|04}}|caps=2|goals=-|club=[[Bayer Leverkusen]]|clubnat=Germany}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=DF|name=[[Sofiane Harkat]]|age={{birth date and age|1984|01|26}}|caps=-|goals=-|club=[[JS Kabylie]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Karim Bridji]]|age={{birth date and age|1981|08|16}}|caps=1|goals=-|club=[[Heracles Almelo]]|clubnat=Netherlands}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Fadel Brahami]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|05|14}}|caps=16|goals=-|club=[[RAEC Mons]]|clubnat=Belgium}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Hocine Achiou]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|04|27}}|caps=25|goals=3|club=[[USM Alger]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Nasreddine Kraouche]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|08|27}}|caps=36|goals=3|club=[[SC Charleroi]]|clubnat=Belgium}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Mamouni|Mamaar Mamouni]]|age={{birth date and age|1976|02|28}}|caps=30|goals=2|club=[[Panserraikos]]|clubnat=Greece}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Hocine Metref]]|age={{birth date and age|1984|01|01}}|caps=4|goals=-|club=[[USM Alger]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Djamel Mesbah]]|age={{birth date and age|1984|10|09}}|caps=-|goals=-|club=[[FC Aarau]]|clubnat=Switzerland}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=MF|name=[[Medhi Lacen]]|age={{birth date and age|1984|02|05}}|caps=-|goals=-|club=[[Deportivo Alavés]]|clubnat=Spain}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=FW|name=[[Kamel Larbi]]|age={{birth date and age|1985|02|20}}|caps=1|goals=-|club=[[OGC Nice]]|clubnat=France}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=FW|name=[[Hamza Yacef]]|age={{birth date and age|1979|08|25}}|caps=8|goals=1|club=[[WAC Casablanca]]|clubnat=Morocco}}
{{nat fs g player|no=-|pos=FW|name=[[Hocine Fenier]]|age={{birth date and age|1983|03|05}}|caps=-|goals=-|club=[[USM Annaba]]|clubnat=Algeria}}
{{nat fs g end}}
==Noteworthy Players==
* Past and present players who have had an impact on the [[Algeria national football team| Algerian]] national team:
{{col-begin-small}}
{{col-4}}
*[[Billel Dziri]]
*[[Hocine Achiou]]
*[[Farid Ghazi]]
*[[Djamel Belmadi]]
*[[Samir Beloufa]]
*[[Rafik Saifi]]
*[[Nasreddine Kraouche]]
*[[Abdelmalek Cherrad]]
*[[Nassim Akrour]]
*[[Mounir Zeghdoud]]
*[[Rabah Madjer]] - ''retired''
*[[Mohamed Kaci-Saïd]] - ''retired''
*[[Ali Benarbia]] - ''retired''
*[[Moussa Saïb]] - ''retired''
{{col-4}}
*[[Lakhdar Belloumi]] - ''retired''
*[[Mustapha Dahleb]] - ''retired''
*[[Salah Assad]] - ''retired''
*[[Ali Fergani]] - ''retired''
*[[Tedj Bensaoula]] - ''retired''
*[[Djamel Zidane]] - ''retired''
*[[Faouzi Mansouri]] - ''retired''
*[[Rachid Mekhloufi]] - ''retired''
*[[Karim Maroc]] - ''retired''
*[[Cherif El Ouazani]] - ''retired''
*[[Djamel Menad]] - ''retired''
*[[Abdelhafid Tasfaout]] - ''retired''
*[[Mahieddine Meftah]] - ''retired''
*[[Hacène Lalmas]] - ''retired''
{{col-4}}
*[[Ali Bencheikh]] - ''retired''
*[[Nacer Hadj Issa]] - ''retired''
*[[Rachid Adghigh]] - ''retired''
*[[Hocine Benmiloudi]] - ''retired''
*[[Rachid Dali]] - ''retired''
*[[Omar Betrouni]] - ''retired''
*[[Nouredine Kourichi]] - ''retired''
*[[Chaabane Merzekane|Chaâbane Merzekane]] - ''retired''
*[[Mustapha Kouici]] - ''retired''
*[[Abdelaziz Bentifour]] - ''retired''
*[[Mustapha Zitouni]] - ''retired''
*[[Mehdi Cerbah]] - ''retired''
{{col-end}}
==Manager History==
* Team managers of [[Algeria national football team| Algeria]] and the dates they were in charge.
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
!style="background:#008000;"|<font color="white">Date in Charge
!style="background:#008000;"|<font color="white">Manager name
|-
|October 2007 - Present||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Saadane]]
|-
|May 2006 - October 2007||{{flagicon|France}} [[Jean-Michel Cavalli]]
|-
|June 2005 - May 2006 || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Meziane Ighil]]
|-
|September 2004 - June 2005 || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Ali Fergani]] and {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Lakhdar Belloumi]]
|-
|May 2004 - September 2004 || {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Robert Waseige]]
|-
|July 2003 - February 2004 || {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Saadane]]
|-
|January 2003 - July 2003||{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Georges Leekens]]
|-
|May 2002 - January 2003||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Hamid Zouba]]
|-
|July 2001 - May 2002||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Madjer]] and {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Tedj Bensaoula]]
|-
|June 2001 - July 2001||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Hamid Zouba]], {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Abdelhamid Kermali]] and {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Aït Djoudi]]
|-
|March 2001 - June 2001||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Hamid Zouba]] and {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Abdelhamid Kermali]]
|-
|September 2000 - February 2001||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Djahid Boudaia]] and {{flagicon|Romania}} [[Mircea Radulescu]]
|-
|May 2000 - July 2000||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Abdel Djaadaoui]]
|-
|December 1999 - April 2000||{{flagicon|Algeria}} {{flagicon|France}} [[Nasser Sandjak]]
|-
|July 1999 - December 1999||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Madjer]]
|-
|April 1999 - June 1999||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Charif Ait Mohamed Boualem]]
|-
|February 1999 - March 1999||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Saadane]]
|-
|August 1998 - January 1999||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Meziane Ighil]]
|-
|January 1998 - July 1998||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Abderrhamane Medhaoui]]
|-
|October 1996 - December 1997||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Hamid Zouba]]
|-
|June 1995 - June 1996||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Ali Fergani]] and {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Mourad Abdelouahab]]
|-
|April 1994 - May 1995||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Madjer]]
|-
|February 1992 - March 1994||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Meziane Ighil]]
|-
|February 1990 - February 1992||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Abdelhamid Kermali]]
|-
|1986||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rabah Saadane]]
|-
|1984||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Mahieddine Khalef]]
|-
|1982||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Mahieddine Khalef]] and {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Rachid Mekloufi]]
|-
|1980||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Mahieddine Khalef]] and {{flagicon|Yugoslavia}} [[Zdravko Rajkov]]
|-
|August 1969 - October 1970||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Hamid Zouba]] and {{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Abdelaziz Ben Tifour]]
|-
|1966 - 1969||{{flagicon|France}} [[Lucien Leduc]]
|-
|October 1964 - July 1965||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Smaïl Khabatou]]
|-
|July 1963 - July 1964||{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Smaïl Khabatou]]
|-
|January 1963 - March 1963||{{flagicon|Algeria}} {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Kader Firoud]]
|}
==World Cup Squads==
{{Algeria Squad 1982 World Cup}}
{{Algeria Squad 1986 World Cup}}
==External links==
*[http://www.faf.org.dz/ Algerian FA]
*[http://www.dzfoot.com/ DzFoot]
*[http://www.weltfussball.de/teams.php?m_id=69/ Weltfussball]
*[http://www.transfermarkt.de/de/nationalmannschaft/3614/algerien/kader/transferdaten.html/ Transfermarkt]
*[http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/country.php?id=3/ National Football Teams]
{{fb start}}
{{Football in Algeria}}
{{International Football}}
{{CAF teams}}
{{UAFA Football}}
{{fb end}}
[[Category:African national football teams]]
[[Category:Football in Algeria]]
[[ar:منتخب الجزائر لكرة القدم]]
[[de:Algerische Fußballnationalmannschaft]]
[[es:Selección de fútbol de Argelia]]
[[fr:Équipe d'Algérie de football]]
[[ko:알제리 축구 국가대표팀]]
[[it:Nazionale di calcio dell'Algeria]]
[[he:נבחרת אלג'יריה בכדורגל]]
[[lv:Alžīrijas futbola izlase]]
[[lt:Alžyro vyrų futbolo rinktinė]]
[[hu:Algériai labdarúgó-válogatott]]
[[mr:अल्जीरिया फुटबॉल संघ]]
[[nl:Algerijns voetbalelftal]]
[[ja:サッカーアルジェリア代表]]
[[pl:Reprezentacja Algierii w piłce nożnej]]
[[pt:Seleção Argelina de Futebol]]
[[ru:Сборная Алжира по футболу]]
[[fi:Algerian jalkapallomaajoukkue]]
[[sv:Algeriets fotbollslandslag]]
[[vi:Đội tuyển bóng đá quốc gia Algérie]]
[[tr:Cezayir Millî Futbol Takımı]]
[[uk:Збірна Алжиру з футболу]]
[[zh:阿爾及利亞國家足球隊]]