MC Alger

Mouloudia
Full nameMouloudia Club d'Alger
NicknamesMCA
El Mouloudia (The Mouloudia)
The Dean
The People's Club
Short nameMCA
Founded7 August 1921 (1921-08-07)
(as Mouloudia Club Algérois)
GroundAli La Pointe Stadium
Capacity40,000
OwnerSonatrach
PresidentMohamed Hakim Hadj Redjem
Head CoachKhaled Ben Yahia
(from 15 March 2026)[1]
LeagueLigue 1
2024–25Ligue 1, 1st of 16 (champions)
Websitemouloudiaclubalger.dz

Mouloudia Club d'Alger (Arabic: نادي مولودية الجزائر), referred to as MC Alger or MCA for short, is an Algerian football club based in Algiers. The club was founded in 1921 and its colours are green, red and gold. Their home stadium, Ali La Pointe Stadium, has a capacity of 40,000 spectators. The club is currently playing in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1.

Founded in 1921 as Mouloudia Club Algérois and Mouloudia Chaâbia d’Alger, the club was known as Mouloudia Pétroliers d'Alger from 1977 to 1986 and changed its name to Mouloudia Club d'Alger in 1986. The club colours are red and green.

Mouloudia were the first Algerian club to win a continental competition, winning the 1976 African Cup of Champions Clubs. They are one of the most successful Algerian clubs having won the domestic league 8 times, and the domestic cup 8 times, tied with USM Alger, CR Belouizdad and ES Sétif.

As of the 2023–24 season, Mouloudia was the Algerian football club with the highest market value. The market value was €9.68 million.[2]

History

Birth of Mouloudia, the dean of Algerian clubs

In 1921, Aouf Ahmed, a member of a wealthy family from the Casbah and a former student at the Sarrouy school, witnessed a scene that made him want to create a football club. On the Place du Gouvernement, now Place des Martyrs5, children were playing football with a ball made from paper.[3] French soldiers were watching them, and a sergeant declared: "Here is the Parc des Princes of the Arabs!" This statement annoyed him and prompted him to talk about his project to his friends the next day. The meeting that gave birth to the club took place in the back room of the café on rue Bénachère (called Souikia). Several names were proposed: Éclair sportif d’Alger, Croissant club d’Alger, Étoile sportive d'Alger, Jeunesse sportive d'Alger, until the name chosen Mouloudia Club Algérois. The colors (green and red) were chosen for these reasons: green represents the hope of the Algerian people, it is also the symbolic color of Islam. Red symbolizes love of the nation and sacrifice, it is also one of the favorite colors of the prophet Mohammed.

Encouraged by his friends, Ahmed Aouf organized the club statutes and regulations of the association, staff, preparation of resources (materials and finances), choice of acronym, problems of supervision, acquisition of a playing field and a sports club. Aouf sent a request to the prefecture to obtain approval for the founding of the club. The response was negative, Aouf Ahmed being then twenty-six years old. He therefore wrote the name of Abdelmalek, his aunt's husband, so that his project would be accepted. Abdelrrahmane Aouf was summoned twice by the prefecture to examine the file concerning the creation of the Muslim club. During the interviews, Aouf convinced the municipality of the legitimacy of his project. Thus, he said that the club would aim to train young people for military service and explained: "green, paradise, red hell for others seeking training". The colonial authorities sent a note to the headquarters specifying that the club's premises should be used only for sporting purposes (in order to prohibit political gatherings)6. On August 31, 1921 (26 Dhou Al-Hijja 1339) the Mouloudia Club Algérois was created. Its headquarters are located at the American refreshment bar, Place Mahon, in Algiers.

The beginnings

In 1976, Mouloudia qualified for the African Cup of Champions Clubs for the first time in its history after winning the 1974–75 Algerian Championnat National. They reached the final after beating Al-Ahly Benghazi of Libya, Al Ahly of Egypt, Luo Union of Kenya and Enugu Rangers of Nigeria, respectively.[4] In the final, they met Guinean club Hafia Conakry, who had won the last edition of the competition. In the first leg in Conakry, Mouloudia lost 3–0 and faced the difficult task of having to score three goals in the return leg. However, in the return leg, they managed to score the three goals with a brace from Omar Betrouni and a goal from Zoubir Bachi.[5] They went on to win the penalty shootout 4–1 to win their first African title and also become the first Algerian club to win a continental competition.

Crest

  • Former logo
    Former logo
  • Old logo (2018-2024)
    Old logo (2018-2024)
  • Current logo (updated in 2024)
    Current logo (updated in 2024)

Kit manufacturers

Kit suppliers
Dates Supplier
2009–2012 Adidas
2012–2016 Joma
2016–2019 Umbro
2019–2021 Puma
2021–2023 Joma
2023–2025 Puma
2025 Peak Sport Products

Honours

Domestic competitions

  • Algerian League 1
    • Champions (9): 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1998–99, 2009–10, 2023–24, 2024–25
    • Runners-up (5): 1962–63, 1969–70, 1988–89, 2016–17, 2019–20
  • Algerian Cup
    • Winners (8): 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1982–83, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2015–16
    • Runners-up (2): 2012–13, 2023–24
  • Algerian Super Cup
    • Winners (5) (record): 2006, 2007, 2014, 2024, 2025
    • Runner-up (1): 2016
  • Algerian League Cup
    • Winners (1): 1998

International competitions

Regional competitions

  • Maghreb Cup Winners Cup
    • Winners (2): 1971, 1974
  • North African Cup of Champions
    • Runners-up (1): 2010
  • Maghreb Champions Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 1975

Performance in CAF competitions

2007 – First Round
2008 – First Round
2015 – First Round
2017 – Quarter-finals
1984 – Second Round

MC Alger in African football

Players

Algerian teams are limited to four foreign players. The squad list includes only the principal nationality of each player;

Current squad

As of 31 January 2026[6] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ALG Abdelatif Ramdane
2 DF  ALG Rostom Dendaoui
3 DF  ALG Marwane Khelif
5 DF  ALG Ayoub Abdellaoui (captain)
6 MF  ALG Mohammed Benkhemassa
7 FW  ALG Sofiane Bayazid
8 FW  ALG Zinedine Ferhat
10 MF  GUI Alhassane Bangoura
12 MF  BFA Mohamed Zougrana
13 FW  ALG Yacine Hamadouche
14 MF  ALG Islam Sibous
15 FW  ALG Mehdi Boucherit
17 MF  ALG Chahreddine Boukholda
18 FW  GUI Mohamed Saliou Bangoura
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF  ALG Ayoub Ghezala
20 DF  ALG Réda Halaïmia
21 MF  ALG Larbi Tabti
22 MF  CIV Kipré Zunon
23 FW  ALG Chamseddine Boubetache
24 FW  ALG Zakaria Naidji
25 DF  ALG Aimen Bouguerra
26 GK  ALG Alexis Guendouz
27 DF  ALG Abdelkader Menezla
28 MF  ALG Oussama Benhaoua
29 FW  ALG Amine Messoussa
30 MF  ALG Sid Ahmed Aissaoui
37 FW  ALG Moslem Anatouf
40 GK  ALG Mastias Hammache

Personnel

Current technical staff

Position Staff
Head coach Khaled Ben Yahia
Assistant coach Yasser Radwan
Goalkeeping coach Fouad Cheriet
Fitness coach Ahmed Haddad

Notable players

Below are the notable former players who have represented Mouloudia in league and international competition since the club's foundation in 1921. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club or represented the national team for which the player is eligible during his stint with Mouloudia or following his departure.

For a complete list of Mouloudia players, see Category:MC Alger players

Algeria

  • Algeria Zoubir Bachi
  • Algeria Fayçal Badji
  • Algeria Mohamed Belgherbi
  • Algeria Lakhdar Belloumi
  • Algeria Ali Bencheikh
  • Algeria Omar Betrouni
  • Algeria Hadj Bouguèche
  • Algeria Ismaël Bouzid
  • Algeria Noureddine Daham
  • Algeria Farès Fellahi
  • AlgeriaRachid Sebbar
  • AlgeriaAissa Draoui
  • AlgeriaAbdelmalek Cherrad
  • Algeria Kader Firoud
  • Algeria Fodil Hadjadj
  • Algeria Larbi Hosni
  • Algeria Karim Kaddour
  • Algeria Hamza Koudri
  • Algeria Tarek Lazizi
  • Algeria Bouzid Mahyouz
  • Algeria Fawzi Moussouni
  • Algeria Amokrane Oualiken
  • Algeria Rafik Saïfi
  • Algeria Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche
  • Algeria Abdeslam Bousri
  • Algeria Abdelwahab Maiche

Mali

Togo

Managers

  • Algeria Mahmoud Hamid Bacha, Mustapha Biskri (1998)
  • Algeria Abdelhamid Kermali, Mustapha Biski (1983–89), (1998–1999)
  • Belgium Michel Renquin (2000–2001)
  • Algeria Bachir Mechri, Ali Bencheikh, Bachta (2001–2002)
  • Algeria Noureddine Saâdi (2002– Dec 4, 2003)
  • France Hervé Revelli (Jan 1, 2004 – May 1, 2004)
  • France Jean-Paul Rabier (2004–05)
  • France Robert Nouzaret (July 1, 2005 – Dec 24, 2005)
  • Algeria Noureddine Saâdi (Dec 2005 – March 2006)
  • France François Bracci (March 2006 – Oct 06)
  • Algeria Hacène Matallah (Oct 2006 – Nov 06)
  • Italy Enrico Fabbro (Nov 2006 – Nov 07)
  • Belgium Jean Thissen (Nov 2007 – Jan 08)
  • Italy Enrico Fabbro (Jan 2008 – Feb 08)
  • Algeria Mohamed Mekhazni (Feb 2008 – March 8)
  • Iraq Ameur Djamil (March 27, 2008 – Sept 21, 2008)
  • France Alain Michel (Sept 21, 2008 – Dec 09)
  • France François Bracci (Dec 2009–10)
  • France Alain Michel (June 2010 – March 15, 2011)
  • Algeria Noureddine Zekri (March 11, 2011 – July 19, 2011)
  • Algeria Abdelhak Menguellati (June 2011 – Aug 11)
  • Algeria Abdelhak Benchikha (Sept 1, 2011 – Oct 5, 2011)
  • France François Bracci (Oct 23, 2011 – Feb 11, 2012)
  • Algeria Kamel Bouhellal (Feb 10, 2012 – May 5, 2012)
  • Algeria Abdelkrim Bira (May 4, 2012 – June 30, 2012)
  • France Patrick Liewig (July 1, 2012 – Aug 20, 2012)
  • France Jean-Paul Rabier (Aug 27, 2012 – Sept 23, 2012)
  • Algeria Djamel Menad (Sept 24, 2012 – May 9, 2013)
  • Algeria Farid Zemiti (interim) (May 10, 2013 – June 30, 2013)
  • Switzerland Alain Geiger (July 1, 2013 – Nov 10, 2013)
  • Algeria Fouad Bouali (Nov 18, 2013–14)
  • Portugal Artur Jorge (2014 – October 8, 2015)
  • Algeria Meziane Ighil (October 13, 2015– February 2016)
  • Algeria Lotfi Amrouche (Mars, 2016 – May 27, 2016)
  • Algeria Djamel Menad (June, 2016– October, 2016)
  • Algeria Kamel Mouassa (October, 2016– July, 2017)
  • France Bernard Casoni (August, 2017– August, 2018)
  • Algeria Rafik Saifi (September 15, 2018– October 23, 2018)
  • Algeria Adel Amrouche (October, 2018– March 12, 2019)
  • France Bernard Casoni (July, 2019– December 8, 2019)
  • Algeria Mohamed Mekhazni (December 8, 2019– February 5, 2020)
  • Algeria Nabil Neghiz (February 5, 2020 – February 4, 2021)
  • Algeria Abdelkader Amrani (February 7, 2021 – April 12, 2021)
  • Algeria Nabil Neghiz (April 28, 2021 –August 10, 2021)
  • Tunisia Khaled Ben Yahia (September 1, 2021 –June 10, 2022)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Faruk Hadžibegić (July 16, 2022 –September 10, 2022)
  • Tunisia Faouzi Benzarti (September 25, 2022 –February, 2023)
  • France Patrice Beaumelle (March 3, 2023 –Dec 16, 2024)

References

  1. ^ "MCA: Khaled Ben Yahia s'engage jusqu'en 2027". competition.dz. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  2. ^ "Africa: Most valuable football clubs 2023/2024".
  3. ^ "le MC Alger : un club, une histoire, un palmarès" (in French). APS.dz. August 29, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. ^ "African Club Competitions 1976". Rsssf.com. 2012-03-28. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  5. ^ "Le MCA en compétition Africaine". Kazeo.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  6. ^ "Players".
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