The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic national football team arrived yesterday evening, Tuesday, at Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers, to play an exhibition match.
And it will be held Exhibition match In front of former Algerian stars, next Friday at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki (Elsa 16.30), organized by the Algerian National Committee for Solidarity with the Sahrawi People, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Sahrawi Republic.
The Sahrawi national football team delegation consists of 22 players in addition to a technical staff that includes six members, five others from the Sahrawi Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as three members from the Sahrawi Sports Federation.
The Secretary-General of the Sahrawi Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Said Dedi, told the national media upon the delegation’s arrival, saying: “We are happy that we will hold this match on Algerian soil and on a stadium bearing the name of one of the leaders whose glorious history we honor (Nelson Mandela). This match carries many connotations, especially since the Sahrawi people continue to demand self-determination, freedom and independence.”
The Sahrawi official added, saying: “This match will have a positive impact and will be characterized by a high sportsmanship within the framework of solidarity between the two brotherly Algerian and Sahrawi peoples. The struggle will be on all fronts, and sports diplomacy will be one of the fields through which we will work hard to convey the voice of the Sahrawi people who yearn for freedom and independence.”
For his part, the President of the Sahrawi Sports Federation, Ahmed Baba Yahya Bouhabini, said, “After we put Sahrawi sports before the eyes of the whole world by establishing the Sahrawi national team in 2023, now we will enter another phase, which is to announce the establishment of the Sahrawi Football Federation as a new step within sports diplomacy.”
The Sahrawi Arab Republic national team will play a brotherly match
He also said that this match is a fraternal match with a brotherly people, through which we aim to convey the voice of the Sahrawi people and the Sahrawi issue to the world.
For his part, after expressing his thanks to Algeria for hosting this match, the coach of the Sahrawi national team, Mohamed Salem El Kantaoui, explained that this time the team includes players active in various leagues in France, Spain and Mauritania.
As for Samir Bouaziz, a member of the Algerian National Committee for Solidarity with the Sahrawi People, he confirmed, saying: “On the occasion of Thursday’s anniversary of the founding of the Sahrawi Republic, we decided to organize this exhibition interview between former Algerian stars, led by the former international, Djamel Belamri, and the Western Sahara national team, in order to support this just cause and support the struggle of the Sahrawi people in self-determination.”
He added: “Sports has become an essential tributary in sports diplomacy, especially football, in order to introduce the issue of this people, especially in the context of the movement and dynamism witnessed by the Sahrawi issue globally, and this is through promoting it athletically.”
This exhibition match will be organized under the slogan “Sports are at the heart of just causes“.
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