A good read by Piers Edwards on the Algerian team, in the same group as USA, England, and Slovenia.
Algeria regularly provided exceptional players to France before the independence struggle began in the 1950s. That was when many of the Algerians like Monaco’s Mustapha Zitouni and St Etienne’s Rachid Mekloufi, considered sure prospects for the 1958 World Cup gave up playing for France to join the FLN, (Front de Liberation National) immortalized in Gilles Pontecorvo’s classic “The Battle of Algiers”.
More recently, a number of Algerians having risen up through the youth ranks in French clubs have returned to their country of origin with Raymond Domenech filling his squad with players from French overseas territories and West African Francophone countries.
Madjid Bougherra, Nadir Belhadj, Mourad Meghni and Hassan Yebda have strengthened Les Fennecs with Yebda and Meghni even winning the U17 World Cup title representing France.
Antar Yahia, the central defender who was Algeria’s hero in the tense battle against Egypt at Khartoum by scoring the only goal became the first beneficiary of FIFA’s rule change allowing a player with dual nationality and under the age of 21 years to switch his national allegiance. Yahia a former U18 French international was able to play for Algeria in the 2004 Olympics and scored a goal for a 1-0 win over Ghana.
With Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema, and Hatem Ben Arfa being left out, the nationalists would say that there will be no divided loyalties and no more embarrassing moments when Les Marseillaise is played. However, when opportunities close, others open up elsewhere. Les Fennecs are benefiting from these reverse migrations.
3 comments on “World Cup 2010: Les Fennecs benefit from French Algerian return”
Dear Shorin Roy,
Just a few words of praise for this blog.
Another very interesting read on France-Algerian history but there are many….
I guess some of the things with football that makes it so huge and wide in appeal is highlighted in excellent blogs like this one.
The fact that the world cup is not just the biggest sporting event there is, but the biggest common human event there ever was, barring nothing, not even religious ones probaby gives me a hint of why I like this blog so much.
It’s smart, it’s educated, it’s non-confrontative (apart from perhaps when the US meet England on June 12th 😉 it widens the scope on how you look at the beautiful game from a wider, planet earth POV..
It certainly appeals to people like myself, who are there to watch it for the beauty of the game from all angles and not to pick a fight with rival fans…;-)
I am a lover of football but also want peace and love for all mankind…
Very grateful for your blog basically!
thanx again, peace and best wishes for this blog to be like it is for many years to come!
Janne A.
Aristos 42, thank you for your kind words. I am glad that you find this blog informative. Yes, football has the unique power to heal wounds but too often it is used to open them. That I think is part of its compelling nature, its mythic status. Do keep reading and following us. We will try and be as objective on June 12th 🙂
I can see Algeria taking a few points from some of the teams in the group, and even if they don’t have you seen how nice their kit is, they will certainly be remembered for that if nothing else.