Algiers/Cairo - After more than two decades the Algerian national football team will take part in the 2010 World Cup, carrying to South Africa the hopes and aspirations of the Arab World as their lone representative. In the 1980's Algeria was one of the strongest teams on the continent and played in the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals and won the African Cup of Nations in 1990 at home.
Since then, things have gone downhill and football fans still talk of the 1982 2-1 victory against West Germany in a game that made household names of players like Rabeh Madjer and al-Akhdar Balloumi.
However, the team could not sustain the success they had in the first match, as their next game ended in a 2-0 loss to Austria and their 3-2 victory over Chile was not enough to enable them to qualify from their group, as West Germany and Austria contrived to force them out of the competition.
Four years later, the Algerian national team qualified for Mexico, but they were not helped by a tough draw which grouped them with Brazil and Spain, and they lost all matches in the first round.
After Mexico, Algeria succeeded in grabbing the 1990 African Cup of Nations, beating Nigeria 1-0 in the final match.
This tournament, however, was the end of a glittering era for the Algerian team and coincided with the retirement of a generation of key players.
It has only been recently that the team has bounced back and qualification for the 2010 Nations Cup finals in Angola and the World Cup finals in South Africa were the result.
Having been drawn into a group together with Rwanda, Zambia and Egypt, fans were hoping for a place in Angola, but dared not dream of bigger things.
That changed after they managed a 3-1 victory against Egypt - a result that gave the side confidence.
In the final game of the group Algeria were agonizingly close to qualifying, but a goal five minutes into extra time gave Egypt the two-goal victory they needed to draw level with the Algerians at the top of their group, making a play-off necessary.
Although the Pharaoh's were favoured to win the game, it was Algeria that came through, winning 1-0 - a score that resulted in riots both in Egypt and Algeria.
Algeria will go into the finals as one of the weaker sides, but the team led by coach Rabah Saadane is hoping to bring back the glory days of the 1980's.
Saadane depends on a group of players, who are a mixture of young and experienced players, who play for European clubs such as the 34- year-old Rafik Saifi, who plays for the Qatari al-Khor Sports Club, Karim Ziani, 27, who is a midfielder for Wolfsburg in Germany and Karim Matmour, 24, who plays for German club Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The Coach:
Rabah Saadane, 63, returned to coaching the Algerian national team for his fifth stint in charge in 2008 after leading Wifaq Setif Club to the Arab Champions League title in 2007.
He was in charge of the side at the World Cup in 1986, as well as the Nations Cup in 2004.
He has also been in charge of several club teams, winning the African Champions League with Raja Casablanca of Morocco.
The Star:
Despite already being 34, Rafik Saifi is still the star of the team and is an essential element.
Saifi spent several successful years in France, playing for Troyes, FC Istres, AC Ajaccio and Lorient. He moved to Qatari al-Khor last August.
Saifi, who is very popular in his home country, joined the national team in 1995 and scored his first goal for the team in February 1999 against Liberia.
Factfile:
Nickname: The Desert Foxes (or Les Fennecs) Founded: 1962 FIFA affiliation: 1963 Highest FIFA ranking: 28 - October 2009 Lowest FIFA ranking: 103 - May 2008 Previous World Cup appearances: 2 (1982, 1986) Best World Cup performance: Group Stage (1982, 1986) Date qualified for finals: November 18, 2009
