Ouled El Bahdja

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Ouled EL Bahdja
Established31 December 2011
(12 years ago) (2011-12-31)
TypeSupporters' group
MottoUsmiste Conservateur
StadiumsOmar Hamadi Stadium,
Stade du 5 Juillet
Colours   

Ouled EL Bahdja was a supporters' group of USM Alger football fans established in the 1990s by a group of fans from Casbah. Members were known for chanting songs in support of their club, USM Alger.[1] Members wished to remain anonymous, and refused public appearance and media interviews. The group was officially disbanded in 2022, citing problems and harassment facing its members.[2]

History[edit]

Tifo Groupe UNITED 37 against AS FAR in the quarterfinals of the 2022–23 CAF Confederation Cup

... Our intervention [at a commemoration of footballer Rino Della Negra] was mainly focused on the history and history of protest of our club, USM Alger, both on the role played by the club in the war of liberation and on the role played by the fans in the social movements that the country has experienced.

— Ouled EL Bahdja to its members on the 10th anniversary of its founding[3]

Ouled EL Bahdja was founded in the 1990s, the only such supporters' group in Algeria at the time. The group regularly organized tifo among fans at games, both in the Ligue Professionnelle 1 and continental competitions. Support for the group extended into Tunisia and Morocco.

With the advent of Groupe SERPORT, the group suffered legal prosecutions from people from the company's surroundings because of their criticism of the management method, and it increased because of the stadium issue, where Ouled EL Bahdja insisted on returning to its stronghold, the Omar Hamadi Stadium.[incomprehensible]

On December 14, 2022, Ouled EL Bahdja announced that it was stopping its activity after 15 years. In a press release, its members stated that the group was unable to continue serving the best interests of USM Alger, and that its disbandment was partially due to the group's legal problems and harassment.[2]

Notable activities[edit]

On 21 June 2017, in a match against Zamalek in the CAF Champions League, USM Alger supporters hoisted their biggest banner (spanning between runway 13 and runway 21 of the Stade du 5 Juillet) bearing the phrase "Islamic Union" in Arabic, a reference to the old name of the club, Union Sportive Musulmane d'Alger.

In the match against CAPS United F.C. on the 80th anniversary of the founding of USM Alger, supporters lifted a banner with the number 80 and a logo written in French ("Ensemble"); 80 minutes into the game, fans celebrated with fireworks such as smoke grenades.[4] The tifo of USM Alger fans in the quarterfinals of the 2017 CAF Champions League against Ferroviário Beira (Mozambique) was ranked second in the "Top 10 tifos of the week" by the specialized site La Grinta. The tifo had a banner written in English with "I will try until I die", implying the team's intent to win its first African cup.[5]

Accidents[edit]

On July 5, 1997, in the middle of the Algerian Civil War, three USM Alger supporters who were celebrating their team's victory in the Algerian Cup were murdered at a false roadblock at Frais Vallon.[6]

On 21 September 2013, during a match against MC Alger, two supporters of USM Alger died and several hundred spectators were injured after part of the stadium collapsed. The incident occurred ten minutes after the end of the match.[7][8] Following the incident, there was a plan to destroy the whole stadium, but it was ultimately decided that only the upper terraces would be completely removed and renovate, during which the stadium was closed.

On 9 September 2018, seventy minutes into a match between USM Alger and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the Arab Club Champions Cup, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's players withdrew in protest at offensive chants from spectators,[9] including mentioning the name of the former president Saddam Hussein and anti-Shia slogans. The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Algeria's ambassador in Baghdad over "sectarian chants" made by Algerian fans. Ahmed Mahjoub, Iraq's foreign affairs spokesperson, expressed "the government and the people of Iraq's indignation ... at the glorification of the horrible face of Saddam Hussein's deadly dictatorial regime". Later, General Manager Abdelhakim Serrar apologized to the Iraqi team for fan behavior. The goalkeeper and captain, Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche, also apologized to the Iraqi delegation for the conduct of the supporters.[10]

Rivalries and friendships[edit]

Ouled EL Bahdja fans during the 2013 UAFA Club Cup Final against Al-Arabi SC in Algiers
The Cercle of USM Alger where the team's supporters meet

The principal and oldest rivalry of Ouled EL Bahdja was against supporters of MC Alger, the other football club in Algiers. Other rivalries included against supporters of CR Belouizdad, JS Kabylie, and USM El Harrach. The group had few local friendships; its only twinning was with the ultras of CS Constantine and WA Tlemcen.

At the international level, there is good friendship with supporters of Wydad AC of Morocco and Espérance de Tunis of Tunisia. Despite the diplomatic relations between Algeria and Morocco, supporters of the two teams are friendly—during the 2017 CAF Champions League, Wydad supporters received free stadium tickets to the game in Algeria, and vice versa for the second match.[11][12] During the 2019–20 CAF Champions League, Wydad's captain Brahim Nekkach presented a special gift to Algerian footballer Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche: a 77-year-old letter from Union Sportive Musulmane Algéroise that invited Wydad Casablanca to participate in a friendly tournament in Algeria in 1943.[13]

Music production[edit]

Ouled EL Bahdja is considered the best in Algeria in the field of sports songs.[by whom?] Some of its popular songs have been modified by fans of other clubs in Algeria. From 2018, the band led in political songs about the ruling regime and the owner of the club, Ali Haddad, known for his close relations with Saïd Bouteflika (brother of then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika).[14] In the song "ULTIMA VERBA", the verse "Down of the state and those who built the highway" criticizes Haddad and his construction company, ETRHB Haddad [fr].

At the start of the 2019–2021 Algerian protests, protesters used the club's song; most notably, "La Casa Del Mouradia" and "Babor Ellouh".[15] On 14 March 2019, Algerian singer Soolking released a song with Ouled EL Bahdja about the protests called "Liberté".[16][17] The song's video approached 18 million views within its first week on YouTube,[18] and surpassed 100 million views on 10 June 2019.[19]

Year Song Main artist Song title translation (English)
2003 "Men Sabni Fi Bologhine" Groupe Milano "Who found me in Bologhine"
2007 "Katrou Hmoumi" Groupe Milano "My ambition grew"
2015 "Les vrais Supporteurs" Ouled EL Bahdja "Real supporters"
2015 "jamais Nkhounou" Ouled EL Bahdja "We will never betray"
2016 "WSSAYA FI STOR" Ouled EL Bahdja "Commandments in brief"
2016 "HWAK NTI" Ouled EL Bahdja "You breeze"
2018 "Babor Elou7" Ouled EL Bahdja "Wood ship"
2018 "La Casa Del Mouradia" Ouled EL Bahdja "Palace of El Mouradia"
2018 "Y'en a marre" Mouh Milano "I'm sick of it"
2018 "Qilouna" Ouled EL Bahdja "Leave us"
2018 "Wlid el virage" Ouled EL Bahdja "Son of the curved"
2019 "ULTIMA VERBA" Ouled EL Bahdja "Our last shot"
2019 "Liberté" Soolking feat. Ouled EL Bahdja "Freedom"
2019 "Nar El Hamra" (نار الحمرة) Ouled EL Bahdja "Fire of redness"
2019 "Azma w Victoire" (أزمة و فيكتوار) Ouled EL Bahdja "Crisis and victory"
2019 "El Bahdja Qanoun" Mouh Milano "Glamor law"
2019 "Qoloulou" (قولولو) Mouh Milano "Say to him"
2019 "5 Juillet" Ouled EL Bahdja "5 July"
2020 "FI HALI NSSIR" Ouled EL Bahdja "I walk with myself or I go my own way"
2021 "Wqat 3ssiba" (وقات عصيبة) Ouled EL Bahdja "Tough times"
2023 "ERRAHLA" MOUH ATLANTA "Transition"

Notable supporters[edit]

Musician El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka was one of the biggest fans of the club.[20]

The most notable celebrity supporter of USM Alger was El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka, the Grand Master of Andalusi classical music and Algerian chaâbi music.[20] He helped the club through his revenues from concerts. On 5 July 2023, on the 86th anniversary of the founding of USM Alger, his son Al-Hadi performed an old song written by El Hadj El Anka about USM Alger.[20] Chaâbi singers El Hachemi Guerouabi,[20][21] Abdelkader Chaou,[20] and Mourad Djaafri are also famous supporters of USM Alger.

Among politicians, the most prominent fan was the first president of Algeria, Ahmed Ben Bella, who was a former player during the period of French colonialism.[22] Even after being placed under house arrest following the 1965 coup, Ben Bella kept asking about USM Alger. He was the honorary president of the club until his death in 2012.[22]

Saadi Yacef, one of the leaders of Algeria's National Liberation Front, was club president from 1972 to 1975 and also honorary president until his death in 2021.[23][24][25] Mohamed Boudiaf, an Algerian political leader and one of the founders of the National Liberation Front, was a fan of the club. Former president of the Algerian Football Federation, Mohamed Raouraoua, is a fan of the club; however, during his tenure, Raouraoua was accused of helping USM Alger and that he was behind the team's achievement of titles.

Algerian singer and rapper Soolking is also known as a big fan of The Reds and Blacks[26] and collaborated with Ouled EL Bahdja in releasing the song "Liberté". Parts of the music video for Soolking and Rim'K's song Lela (2021) were filmed at Omar Hamadi Stadium and featured supporters of USM Alger. Among Algerian athletes, fans include the track and field Olympic and world champion Djabir Saïd-Guerni, decathlete Larbi Bourrada, and footballer Adlène Guedioura (son of the former Algerian international striker Nacer and a former player for USM Alger).[27]

Additional notable supporters include:

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Je n'ai connu que Bouteflika comme président. Je veux que ça change". elwatan.com. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Le groupe Ouled El Behdja, auteur de « La Casa d'El Mouradia » tire sa révérence". radio-m.net. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  3. ^ "2011 - 2021 : 10 ans d'Ouled El Bahdja". Facebook. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  4. ^ @USMAofficiel (July 10, 2017). "Tifo + Craquage OULED EL BAJDJA VS..." (Tweet). Retrieved 7 February 2017 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ "Top 10 des Tifos de la semaine: le tifo usmiste 2eme derrière celui de Fenerbahce". radioalgerie.dz. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  6. ^ "Algérie: Nouveaux massacres". liberation.fr. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Alger : polémique après la mort de deux supporters dans un stade". france24.com. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  8. ^ "الزوالي دائما هو يخلص.....والمسؤول عن هذه الجريمة يجب أن يحاسب". elheddaf.com. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  9. ^ "Arab C. : Quand les irakiens politisent le match face à l'USMA". dzfoot.com. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Pro-Saddam chants at Algeria-Iraq football match spark diplomatic spat". middleeasteye.net. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  11. ^ "CAF Champions League : Les supporter du Wydad remercient les Algérois pour leur accueil !". fennecfootball.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  12. ^ "CAF LIGUE DES CHAMPIONS : WAC-USMA À GUICHETS FERMÉS". africatopsports.com. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  13. ^ "الوداد يهدي اتحاد العاصمة وثيقة تاريخية". kooora.com. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Ali Haddad : "Oui, je suis proche des responsables militaires et civils"". algerie-focus.com. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Les stades, ces tribunes politiques" [Stadiums, these political forums]. liberte-algerie.com (in French). 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Soolking revient avec un nouveau clip intitulé »Liberté » !" [Soolking is back with a new clip called "Freedom"!]. algerie360.com (in French). 14 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  17. ^ "One, two, three, viva l'Algérie (2/2) L'hymne de la révolte" [One, two, three, viva l’Algérie (2/2) The hymn of revolt]. franceculture.fr (in French). 15 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  18. ^ "En Algérie, Liberté de Soolking devient l'hymne des manifestations anti-Bouteflika" [In Algeria, Freedom of Soolking becomes the anthem of anti-Bouteflika protests]. bfmtv.com (in French). 21 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  19. ^ "En You Tube: Le clip " Liberté " de Soolking dépasse la barre des 100 millions de vues" [You Tube: Soolking's "Liberty" Clip Exceeds 100 Million Views]. Lechodalgerie-dz.com (in French). 11 June 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Il était une fois l'USMA…". usm-alger.com. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  21. ^ "EL HACHEMI GUEROUABI Le chaâbi et le foot, passionnément..." djazairess.com. 9 February 2006. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  22. ^ a b "L'USMA perd son président d'honneur". djazairess.com. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  23. ^ "yacef saâdi est mort : un grand nom de le révolution s'éteint". algerie360.com. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Décès de Yacef Saadi, l'un des symboles et architectes de la Bataille d'Alger". aps.dz. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Carnet Noir/USM Alger : Le président d'honneur Yacef Saâdi n'est plus". agazettedufennec.com. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  26. ^ "L'Algérien Soolking parle de son club de coeur". dzairdaily.com. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  27. ^ "Adlène Guedioura, sur les traces de son père". djazairess.com. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2022.

External links[edit]

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