15 July 2011
MC Alger are appearing in just their second season of African Champions League football in the tournament’s current format, but have been Kings of Africa in the past.
The Algerian side won the 1976 African Cup of Champions Clubs by defeating Guinea outfit Haifa FC 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out after their two-legged final had finished 3-3 on aggregate.
That was courtesy of two 3-0 wins for the home sides, and produced one of the most stunning final comebacks as MC Alger went into the second leg of the tie needing to overcome a huge deficit.
They also reached the quarterfinals in 1977 and 1980 during what was the golden period for the club, but since then success, both on home soil and in continental competitions, has been limited.
They appeared in the 2000 African Champions league but exited in the first round to Senegal side Jeanne d’Arc, only returning 11 years later for this year’s competition.
State of the Team
The club were champions of Algeria in 2010, their seventh national title, and have managed to keep together the majority of those players who helped them to the triumph.
But their League form in the 2010/11 campaign was dismal and they won just eight of their 30 matches to finish 10th in the recently completed season.
They were perhaps distracted by their African Champions League campaign, in which they have fared much better, including overturning a 4-1 first leg deficit against Zimbabwean side Dynamos in the first round to win 3-0 in the second leg and win on the away goals rule.
The side are led by the vastly experienced defender Réda Babouche, who is very much the figure-head of the side and an important cog for them in the back four.
Strengths
All through this year’s African Champions League competition, MC Alger have not been short of goals, especially at home where they have scored eight times in three matches to date.
They have also lost just once on the road, that heavy defeat to Dynamos in Harare, which suggests they are not bad travellers either.
They have good experience through the side and their 80 000-seater home stadium makes for an intimidating environment.
Weaknesses
Despite their experience, they have reached this stage of the competition for the first time since 2000 and group stage play is a different kettle of fish altogether.
They are up against teams in their pool who are continental giants in Al Ahly and Esperance, and will not fancy the trip to Morocco either to face Wydad Casablanca.
The coach
Noureddine Zekri is fairly new to the coaching game but does have experience in the African Champions League group stages having reached this level with his former side ES Setif in 2010.
ES Setif got a credible six points from their six group games, but failed to make the semifinals and Zekri was sacked, only to take over the reins at MC Alger.
A midfielder in his playing days, he likes attacking football and will hope that the knowledge gained in the 2010 tournament will help him to go one better this year.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche, Sofiane Azzedine
Defenders: Zineddine Bensalem, Sofiane Harket, Abdelkader Besseghier, Mohmed Megherbi, Hamza Zeddam
Midfielders: Billel Attafen, Abdelmakelk Mokdad, Nassim Bouchema, Farid Daouad, El Eulmi Daouadi, Hamza Koudri, Billel Moumene
Strikers: Mohamed Derrag, Lamine Belkhier, Youcef Sofiane
Click here for player profiles
Fixtures
MC Alger v Esperance – 16 July 2011
Wydad Casablanca v MC Alger – 30 July 2011
Al Ahly v MC Alger – 12 August 2011
MC Alger v Al Ahly – 28 August 2011
Esperance v MC Alger – 10 September 2011
MC Alger v Wydad Casablanca – 16 September 2011