Algeria All-time 23 memeber team

 

Algeria 1982

The Algerian national team started playing international matches under the name FLN even before its independence. Abdelaziz Ben Tifour and Mustapha Zitouni who were star players in the French league were behind the FLN national team.  Algeria first made his name in world football when they beat the European Champion West Germany 2-1 at the 1982 WC Finals. They narrowly missed the second round after West Germany beat Austria in one of the most controversial matches in World Cup history.  From 1986 to 2010, they failed to qualify for another WC Finals.  In 2014, they made it to the 2nd round before losing to Germany.

If there were an All-Time World Cup, this would be the 23 players I would bring to the tournament. 

Algeria's win vs West Germany

Team
GK: Mehdi Cerbah
The starting keeper of the 1982 World Cup team.  He was voted Algerian Keeper of the Century.

GK: Abderrahmane Boubekeur
He was a goalkeeper with Monaco in the 1950's.  He played for FLN football team(the national team for National Liberation Front) and then, Algeria when it became independent.

GK: Raïs M'Bolhi

He was Algeria's starting keeper at both WC Finals in 2010 and 2014.  He had played for France at youth level.  

RB: Chaabane Merzekane

The starting rightback for Algeria at the WC Finals in 1982.  He earned Man of the Match Award in the famous victory against West Germany.

CB/RB:  Mustapha Zitouni
He was capped by France in the late 1950's.  He was on France's 1952 Olympic team.  He went on to represent the FLN football team, and then, Algeria.  In France, he played for Cannes and Monaco.

CB Mahmoud Guendouz 
He played for Algeria at the 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.  He played club football mainly at home.

 CB: Noureddine Kourichi 
Born in France, he played with Valenciennes, Girondines Bordeaux and Lille in France.  He played in the 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals.

SW: Miloud Hadefi

He was considered to be "Beckenbauer" of Africa.  He was capped 46 times between 1968 and 1979.  He spent his club career at home. 

CB/LB: Mahieddine Meftah 

He was one of the most capped players in Algeria. He won the African Cup of Nations in 1990.

LB: Faouzi Ghoulam

He was capped by France at the youth level.  He went to play for Algeria at the WC in 2014.  He is a consistent starter for both Napoli and AS Saint-Étienne.

Faouzi Ghoulam

DM: Tahar Chérif El-Ouazzani 

He was a great player at MC Oran.  He later played in Turkey and Morocco. He was voted second-best African player of year in 1990 after Roger Milla(his WC run that year).  He won the African Cup of Nations the same year.

CM: Moussa Saïb
Capatin of Algeria's African Cup Nations winning team of 1990.  he was capped 74 times.  He played in France, Spain, England and UAE. He had a long career with Auxerre, where he won Ligue 1 in 1995-1996.

AM/CM: Ali Fergani
He was the playmaker for Algeria at WC 1982.  He was the runner-up at the African Player of the Year award in 1981.

Ali Fergani

  
FW:  Abdelaziz Ben Tifour

He played for France at the 1954 World Cup Finals.  He had a notable career in the French league, especially with Nice.  He was one of the founding member of FLN Algeria national team.

FW:  Salah Assad
He was the starting left forward for Algeria at World Cup in 1982. He is the top scorer for Algeria at the World Cup Finals.  for nhis performance in 1982, he was the runner-up for African Player of the the Year.  He also played in 1986.

AM Lakhdar Belloumi

He is considered to be the best Algerian player of all-time.  He is voted as the 4th best African player of the century.  He holds the record as the most capped Algerian player with 147 national caps.  He won the African Player of the Year award in 1981. Despite interests from European clubs, he stayed in Algeria during his career.

 

Lakhdar Belloumi

AM/FW: Mustapha Dahleb 

He is the all-time leading scorer for Paris St. Germain in league games with 85 goals.  He went to the WC finals in 1982.

SS/FW:  Hacene Lalmas
Widely considered to be one of the greatest Algerian player ever.  He won 4 league titles with CR Belouizdad.

FW:  Ali Bencheikh
He was voted 19th in IFFHS voting for the African player of the century.  He won the African Champions Cup with MC Alger.  He went to the WC Finals in 1982.

FW:  Djamel Menad
He appeared at the 1986 WC Finals in Mexico.  He finished third for the 1986 African Footballer of the Year award.  In 1990. he won the African Cup of Nations where he was the top scorer.

ST: Rachid Mekhloufi 
He is the all-time leading scorer for Saint-Etienne.  He won 4 Ligue 1 titles with them in the 1960's.  Liked many French-Algerian of his generation, he was capped by France.  He later played for FLN Algeria national team and then, Algeria.

ST:  Rabah Madjer
He is probably the most successful Algerian player in Europe. He scored the first goal of the 2-1 victory over West Germany at the 1982 WC Finals.  Five years later, he again broke the Germans' hearts when he scored a goal and set up another as Porto beat Bayern Munich at the European Cup Final in 1987. 

Rabah Madjer

ST: Omar Betrouni (Algeria)
A star in the domestic league during the 1970's. He won the 1976 African Cup of Champions Clubs with MC Alger. 

Honorable Mention 
Madjid Bougherra.

Squad Explantion

• I selected a lot of players from the Golden Generation of the 1980's.  
• I considered FLN as the national team of Algeria.  So Abdelaziz Ben Tifour is eligible for this team. 
•  Abdelkader Ben Bouali never played for Algeria.
•  I had a problem finding a leftback. I looked into Nadir Belhadj, Djamel Mesbah and Faouzi Ghoulam.  Despite his youth, I decided to take Ghoulam because he is a consistent starter for both of his clubs.  
• I also looked into center-back Madjid Bougherra. I am not familiar with Aissa Draoui.
•  Yacine Brahimi is still too young to be in consideration.

Starting lineup 

I converted Mahieddine Meftah into a leftback.  He played as the left center-back on a 3-back formation at the WC Finals.   Abdelaziz Ben Tifour got the nod because of his contributions to Algerian football.