FOOTBALL

Football was introduced in Algeria in the early 20th century.
The first club dubbed "Avant Garde Vie Grand Air" (AGVGA) was created in 1917, followed by Mouloudia of Algiers in 1921, before several other clubs later emerged nation-wide.

Prior to the independence, some valorous and talented Algerian players starring in French clubs, such as Rachid Mekhloufi, Bentifour, Zitouni, Amara, Bouchour Boubekeur Abderrahmane, Soukhane, Bekhloufi, Maouche, Zouba, Oudjani, Ibrir, Kermali, Oualikane, Bouchache, among others... had assured the glory of Algerian football

During the Algerian revolution, professional footballers playing in France joined the National Liberation Front (FLN) in 1956, in a spurt of commitment and solidarity with their people. Then, they constituted the glorious football team that subsequently became the symbol of the revolution and the ambassador of the Algerian cause throughout the world.

The Algerian Football Association (FAF) was created on 21 October 1962, soon after the independence from France, under the chairmanship of late Mohand MAOUCHE, hence allowing for the beginning of the first editions of the Algerian Challenge Cup and championship.

Organised in the form of heats, the Algerian championship for the 1962-63 and 1963-64 seasons saw the consecration of USM Algiers and USM Annaba respectively, with USM Algiers being therefore the first Algerian football champion.

The first Algerian Challenge Cup final pitted ES Setif against ES Mostaganem on 28 April 1963 and ended in a 1-1 draw. In a rescheduled match two weeks later, ES Setif won 2-0 to be the first team to hoist the Algerian Challenge Cup.

The national squad marked its first official participation in an international competition on 27 December 1964, during the preliminaries of the All-Africa Games of Brazzaville (1965). This date also marks that of the national team's first victory, on a 1-0 win over Tunisia, a goal scored by Bentahar.

During the Mediterranean Games of Algiers in 1975, Algeria bagged the gold medal after beating France 3-2 in extra-time. The Algerian football squad would snatch another gold medal three years later during the All-Africa Games hosted by Algiers, thanks to a 1-0 victory over Nigeria.

Everything was going well for the Algerian Football Association until the last unstable decade marked by a constant succession of officials at the head of the Football Association. This has had an adverse impact on the organising of the national championships and mainly the performances of he national squad.

The current FA team led by Mohamed Raouraoua deserves credit for putting an end to this instability prevailing within the leading bodies of Algerian football and rehabilitating the national football league after several years of lethargy. The most important objective of the FA officials was to regain the trust of the club officials who, for the first time in a decade, have unanimously recognised the legitimacy of the Football Association and commended the work carried out by its officials.

Successive FAF chairpersons

Late MAOUCHE Mohand from Oct 1962 to Oct 1969
BENNOUNICHE Mustapha from Oct1969 to July 1973
BENADOUDA Amar from July 1973 to May1975 (FAF stalemated from June 1975 to au Aug1975)

BEKKA Abdenour from Aug 1975 to Jan 1978
KARA Terki from Jan 1978 to Oct 1980
HADJ Sekkal from Nov 1980 to Sept 1982
KEZZAL Omar from Sept 1982 to Apr 1984
DOHMAR Issad from May 1984 to Apr 1986
MEKIRECHE M'Hamed from Apr 1986 to July 1987
LACARNE Belaid from Sept 1987 to Oct 1988
MEKHLOUFI Rachid from Oct 1988 to Feb 1989
BAGHDADI Si Mohamed from Feb 1989 to June 1989 ( Provisional Board)

KEZZAL Omar from July 1989 to Nov 1992
ABDOUCHE Reda from 28Nov1992 to 29Sept1993 (Installation upon decision of the Youth and Sports Minister following the resignation of )

AISSAOUI Mouldi from 30Sept1993 to 07July1994
Late HARAIGUE Rachid from 13July1994 to 20Jan1995
BRIK Larbi from 30Jan1995to 03Apr1996
AMARA Said from 10Apr1996 to 21June1996
MANSEUR Rabah from 21June1996 to 28Aug1996 (Provisional Committee)

LAIB Mohamed from 29Aug1996 to 03Dec1996
BEGHORA Mohamed from 04Dec1996 to 14Sept1997 (named chairman of a
transitional committee comprising 6 league presidents)

BOUAMRA Saïd from 15Sept1997 to 27Nov1997 (Interim Committee)

DIABI Mohamed from 27Nov1997 to 14June1999
HAlA Mohamed from 14June1999 to 16Aug1999 (Dissolution of the FA Board).

CHEIKH Hassen from 16Aug1999 to 12Apr2000 (appointed by the Youth and Sports minister)

KEZZAL Omar from 13Apr2000 to 23Aug2001
RAOURAOUA Mohamed elected 8Nov2001