Football and the Struggle for Algerian Independence

In 1958, Rachid Mekhloufi, star striker for French club team St. Etienne, and nine other Algerian players walked away from promising careers in France to form a national team for a country that, at the time, existed only in the revolutionary dreams of the anti-colonial movement in Algeria.

The Algerian national team formed by the FLN went on to spectacular success, winning 65 games in 4 years despite France’s efforts to ban them from FIFA and international play. Their stellar performances despite the odds made them a powerful symbol for the Algerian struggle, and an inspiration to oppressed peoples everywhere – including today’s Palestine.

1-2-3, Vive l’Algiré!!