Football: Gala Match on Friday Between Western Sahara Selection and Former Algerian Internationals
The Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki (Algiers) will host on Friday (16:30) a gala match between the Western Sahara selection and former Algerian international players as part of a sporting initiative with a humanitarian dimension aimed at highlighting the Sahrawi people’s attachment to their identity and right to self-determination.
Speaking at a press conference in Algiers on Thursday, Western Sahara coach Mohamed Salem Kentaoui said his team was fully prepared for the match, stressing that it carries “sporting and humanitarian dimensions” and “underscores the Sahrawi people’s attachment to their identity and right to self-determination.”
He noted that the squad includes players competing in several countries, including Mauritania, France, Italy and Spain, adding that the match represents “a space for peaceful expression of the Sahrawi people’s aspirations,” describing it as “a civilized means of making the voices of oppressed peoples heard and strengthening their presence on the international stage.”
For his part, Sahrawi Ambassador to Algeria Khatri Adouh Khatri said the Sahrawi people “have the energies and potential enabling them to pursue their struggle in various fields to recover their inalienable rights and implement the policy of the Sahrawi state,” which will mark the 50th anniversary of its founding on February 27.
He thanked Algeria as well as all sports institutions and parties involved in organizing the gala match.
Meanwhile, coach of the former Algerian internationals Younès Ifticen highlighted the importance of the event in promoting the values of fraternity and solidarity between the Algerian and Sahrawi peoples, saying the match is “an opportunity to strengthen ties between players and to shed light on the human dimension of the Sahrawi cause.”
