From Kouba To Europe

[TonyStarks]

From Kouba To Europe



For the youngsters of Alger-based Amel Hai El Badr’s under-10 team, European football was just something they watched on satellite TV. On the thousands of channels available on satellite in Algeria, these youngsters would gather weekly to watch stars like Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney ply their trade at some of the biggest clubs in the world. For one weekend, however, the youngsters experienced a taste of European football.

World Class Competition

The 4th annual Prestige Cup International, held in last weekend in Tremblay, France, regrouped some of the top European clubs including Arsenal, Anderlecht, Marseille, Saint Etienne and Borussia Moenchengladbach. It also included the youngsters from Kouba’s Amel Hai El Badr, who played in their first international tournament. The Algerois managed just 1 win and 2 draws in 9 games but although they finished 20th out of 24 teams, the experience was a much bigger reward for these youngsters.

The Decline Of Algerian Football

France is just an hour’s plane ride away from Algeria, but in terms of football, the two nations are worlds away. The lack of sports infrastructure in Algeria means that many of the youngsters have to deal with a lack of equipment and proper training in their hopes to becoming a professional. The result of this has been widely felt in Algeria, as the national team, once an African powerhouse, has lost its glamour and dropped to 87th in the world rankings. Even neighbours Libya, once a pushover for the national team, are now ranked higher. The decline of Algerian football should come as no surprise.

Hope At The End Of The Tunnel

Through all the disappointments of Algerian football in recent years, there is still some promise. Fans have not forgotten about the performance of the team in the African Cup of Nations in 2004 where the team was just minutes away from a semi-final berth before conceding a goal against Morocco. The fans also did not forget Hocine Achiou’s historic solo run against Egypt, taking the ball almost the entire field before beating 2 defenders and the keeper to give Algeria the win, which has made him a hero back home. With the continuing emerging talents from Algeria’s large European community, fans believe that success is just around the corner. Who knows, 10 years from now, it could be these same Amel Hai El Badr youngsters leading our national team against some of the top teams in the world. For now, they will just enjoy their first taste of the big stage.

[TonyStarks]

I already posted this article (my first 'official' article) on E-DZ.com since the forums were down. Let me know what you guys think of it. I'm contemplating writing more ...

Here are the results of the team at the tournament:

Group Stage (Group 2)
Amel Hai el Badr 1-3 Tremblay FC
Villemomble 1-0 Amel Hai el Badr
Arsenal 2-0 Amel Hai el Badr
Marseille 2-0 Amel Hai el Badr
Toulouse 3-1 Amel Hai el Badr



Second Round (Group E)
Les Lilas 2-0 Amel Hai el Badr
Amel Hai el Badr 1-1 USA Clichy
Amel Hai el Badr 2-0 Red Star



Ranking Game (19th-20th place):
Les Lilas 1-1 Amel Hai el Badr
Les Lilas won on penalties

[La-Casbah_com]

your welcome to write articles on my forum anytime bro.

[TonyStarks]

Inshallah. If I find anything interesting to write about I'll be sure to post on all 3 sites (Algeria.com, E-DZ.com and La-Casbah.com). Not sure when that will be or what it will be about ...