Abdelkader Mazouz (Mazouza) — Football Player, FLN Team Member, and Coach
Abdelkader Mazouz, known as Mazouza, was born in Blida on 4 August 1932. He played for Nîmes Olympique, scored in the 1958 French Cup final, and then joined the historic FLN football team. He later coached USM Blida and the Algerian military national team.
15 November 2025
Abdelkader Mazouz — known affectionately as Mazouza — was born on 4 August 1932 in Blida and became one of the most significant Algerian football figures of the mid-20th century.
Career in France
Mazouz made a name for himself as a forward (attacker) for Nîmes Olympique in France, where he reached the pinnacle of French club football. In the 1958 French Cup final, he scored a stunning direct free kick goal — a moment that demonstrated his technical quality at the highest level.
The FLN Football Team
Following his success at Nîmes, Mazouz made a decision that defined his legacy: he joined the celebrated FLN Football Team — a group of Algerian professional footballers who abandoned their French club careers to play for the independence cause.
Between 1958 and 1962, this team toured internationally, raising awareness of Algeria's struggle for independence through the universal language of football. It was an act of profound political courage.
Post-Independence Career
After Algerian independence in 1962, Mazouz moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland before returning home to USM Blida as both player and coach.
His coaching career extended to:
- Algerian military national team
- ASO Chlef
- USMM Hadjout
- RC Kouba
Legacy
In 2006, a sports high school annex in Blida was named in his honor. Abdelkader Mazouz remains a symbol of a footballer who chose national dignity over personal comfort — and then spent the rest of his career giving back to Algerian football.