Member Association Focus: Algeria
NATIONAL TEAM
The Fennecs sit on top of their FIFA World Cup qualifying Group G and with games to come next month against the next two teams in the standings – Botswana and Mozambique – they will be looking to consolidate their position and move a step closer to playing at the 2026 finals in North America. Algeria have been to four previous World Cup finals and in December will participate in their 21st TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals, where they have drawn as top seeds in Group F along with Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan. Algeria qualified for the finals in emphatic fashion with an unbeaten run through their six matches in Group E, finishing eight points above second placed Equatorial Guinea. Algeria are also competing at July’s TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, where they are drawn alongside Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia in Group B.
CLUBS
Next week’s draws for the both the two continental club competitions will see intense Algerian interest as Mouloudia Club d'Alger (MC Alger) await their fate in the knockout stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, while both CS Constantine and USM Alger are through to the last eight of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup. Mo MC Alger, who were African champions in 1976, finished runners-up behind Sudan’s Al Hilal in their Champions League group while CS Constantine were second to Simba of Tanzania in their Confederation Cup group. But USMA topped their group as they chase a second Confederation Cup title in three years. They were unbeaten in their six matches in the group campaign. Algeria hosted the CAF Women's Champions League UNAF Qualifiers last August but CF Akbou missed out on qualification for the finals tournament held in Morocco.
LEADERSHIP
Walid Sadi was elected Algerian Football Federation President in September 2023. Sadi is a former council member at Entente Setif and had two terms on the board of the Algerian federation, serving as national team director.
HISTORY
Algeria’s rich football history has seen Cup of Nations success and World Cup qualification, as well as success for their clubs in continental club competition. The country’s independence struggle from France also has a rich footballing contribution with Rachid Mekloufi and Mustapha Zitouni both sacrificing the opportunity to play at the 1958 World Cup to instead leave France and compete for the football team of Algeria’s National Liberation Front (FLN), who travelled the world highlighting the struggle against colonialism.