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Christa Jones analyses the ideological relationship between soccer, national identity and Islamism in post-riot 1988 Algeria by examining representations of soccer culture and fandom in Francophone literature from North Africa, where sports and politics continue to be intricately linked. After Algeria obtained independence from France, sport clubs were institutionalized and athletic activities (including soccer but also basketball, boxing, handball, track and field, gymnastics, swimming, ping pong and weightlifting) were closely monitored by the F.L.N. (Front de Libération Nationale) until 1989, in accordance with Chadli Bendjedid’s democratization efforts (Fatès 2009). This essay considers representations of soccer, commonly referred to as Kourat el Kadem (ball at foot), in short stories by Yahia Belaskri (‘Blanc et noir’), Anouar Benmalek (‘Le penalty’), and novels by Aziz Chouaki (L’étoile d’Alger) and Rachid Boudjedra (La vie à l’endroit). In these texts, which illustrate how soccer galvanizes crowds, soccer players such as Zidane embody a strong masculinity and essentially positive values such as strength, wealth, success, and a relentless determination to win. In particular, the works analysed by Jones stress soccer’s strong oneiric potential, as an activity that captivates idle or disillusioned youth who are often limited by socio-political conditions that impede their personal and professional development. |
