In Algeria and around the world, fans of Algerian soccer boisterously celebrated the team's 1-0 victory over Senegal in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) final, held in Cairo July 19. Fireworks, car horns and occasional clashes with police dominated numerous city centers.
Tensions had run high ahead of the final game, not least among the core of fans and demonstrators who have propelled the country’s protest movement from the terraces of Algerian soccer stadiums to the streets, where it established itself as the dominant theme in Algeria’s political discourse. Opposing them stood an embattled government that after weeks of U turns and concessions appeared eager to either co-opt the national fervor as it manifested in support of the soccer team or at least generally deflect the worrisome political angle from its doorstep.
