The FLN Team 1958-1962 - the 1st Algerian national team

Introduction

Imagine Algerian-born Zinedine Zidane - in his playing days - quitting the France national team just before a major international tournament, say France ’98? He then decides to leave the country in order to join another team from a rebel army at war with France.

It sounds far fetched.
But that is exactly what happened 52 years earlier when France were heading to Sweden to take part in the 1958 World Cup.
In 1958, as the French national team prepared for the FIFA World Cup in Sweden, Algeria was engaged in a bloody war of Independence with their French colonial masters.

Players became revolutionaries

several Algerians were playing professionally in France and a few were part of the French national team.

10 footballers, acting in the greatest secrecy, quit France, and went through Italy to reach the Tunisian capital Tunis.
Among them were Mustaphe Zitouni of Monaco, considered the best centre half in France, and Rachid Mekhloufi, the St Etienne striker.
Both were in a preliminary France squad of 40 players called up for the World Cup.
Instead, they made the strongest of stands for Algerian independence. In Tunis, where they finally reached in the most difficult of circumstances, they met with a senior official of the Algerian army fighting for independence, the Front for National Liberation or FLN, and the FLN national football team was born.
According to a FLN communique, the stars acted out of patriotism.
"At a time when France is fighting a war without mercy against their people and their fatherland, they refused to give to French sport their qualities, which are universally recognised," the communique read.

"As serious patriots, putting the Independence of their fatherland above everything, our footballers were determined to give a proof of courage, correctness and lack of self-interest to the Algerian youth."

FIFA punishment

The FLN decided to form a team, and asked for FIFA recognition.
The Algerians' first match was a suitably triumphant 5-1 win over Tunisia, which as a nation had already achieved its freedom and liberation from France.
However FIFA, considering Algeria to still be part of France, did not recognise the FLN team, and even banned Morocco’s Federation when the Atlas Lions played a game against the Algerians.
All the Algerian players were suspended by FIFA too, meaning they couldn’t return to their professional careers in France.
However many countries, in particular Communist ones from Eastern Europe, did play against the FLN side, which became a formidable publicity tool for the Algerian cause.

The results on the pitch were pretty impressive too
The side played 83 matches between May 1958 and December 1961, winning 57, drawing 14 and losing only 12, scoring an incredible 349 goals. 

Independence
In 1962, however, Algeria succeeded in winning its independence from France.
The FLN team, its work done, became the Algerian national team. Several of the stars of the side, like Mekhloufi, returned to France to play club football in their French league.
But there is no doubt their greatest moment came when they took the political and personal decision to play for their independence.


I have produced this short documentary for FIFA Futbol Mundial on the 50^th anniversary of the FLN team foundation, where I had the honour to meet two great men and former FLN players Rachid Mekhloufi in Paris and Mohamed Maouche in Algiers. I hope you enjoy it.