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FLN, A Sacrifice for History (2016)

FLN, A Sacrifice for History (2016)

History Documentary
Release Date: 2016, October 31
Countries: France
Production: L’Équipe Explore
Cast: Rachid Mekhloufi, Just Fontaine, Mustapha Zitouni, Abdelaziz Ben Tifour, Kaddour Bekhloufi, Abderrahmane Boubekeur, Abdelhamid Kermali, Amar Rouaï, Abdelhamid Bouchouk, Saïd Brahimi, Mohamed Boumezrag, Karim Rouaï

Overview:

In 1958, in the midst of the Algerian War and two months before the World Cup, the French Football Federation (FFF) discovered on April 15th that nine of its players of Algerian origin had secretly left France to join the headquarters of the National Liberation Front (FLN) in Tunis, where the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) was based. They chose to leave everything behind—careers, fame, money—to support the FLN cause: the independence of the Algerian people. Their daring escape was worthy of a thriller and made headlines across the international press. For four years, the FLN team toured the world and became the standard-bearer for a people. FIFA refused to recognize the team and threatened federations that played against it with sanctions. Nevertheless, the team made a lasting impression with 57 wins, 14 draws, and 12 losses in 83 matches. Ferhat Abbas, president of the GPRA, told them, "You have gained ten years for the cause of independent Algeria."

Keywords:

football (soccer) french colonialism algeria djazair fln (algerian national liberation front) algerian war algerian national football team