From Boulevard de La Chapelle (18th arrondissement of Paris), it is impossible to guess what is happening on the pitch 2,000 km away, in the Grand Stade de Marrakech which is hosting, this Saturday, the quarter-final of the African Cup of Nations between Algeria and Nigeria. As the Fennecs concede their second goal, in front of the Algerian specialty fast-food restaurant Hbabna, the supporters, green and white flags on their shoulders, light smoke bombs.
“Just being Algerian is worth celebrating,” says Ryan, 19, sitting on the sidewalk with his friends. From here, the small group can barely see a piece of the TV installed on the other side of rue des Islettes, inside the restaurant specializing in grills. No matter, they can look on the phone of Enzo, the youngest of the group, and are mainly there for the atmosphere.
Around them, supporters’ chants rise in Arabic. As the chances of equalizing fade, a few fireworks go off in the street, facing the skytrain. Regularly, the procession must move aside willy-nilly to let the police who are keeping an eye on things pass. Even more regularly, the famous “one, two, three, long live Algeria” is chanted.
It was for this impromptu party that Solange, a young fifty-year-old, traveled from Beauvais (Oise). From her place on the sidewalk, she sees nothing of the match which is nearing the end. She simply enjoys the atmosphere and a spirit of communion “specific to football”. “This is what I came for,” she smiles as new smoke bombs illuminate the street with a bright red light.
Small tensions with the police
At 7 p.m., with the final whistle, the Algerian adventure in the continental tournament ends. Behind the disappointment, pride seems to take over among the supporters. “We started from afar,” recalls Abdallah, Franco-Algerian, whose team had not qualified for the CAN quarter-finals since 2019. The young major praises the Fennecs’ journey and recognizes that Nigeria is “a great team”.
For their part, Enzo and Ryan especially regret having missed the semi-final against Morocco, “the best poster” between “two beautiful nations”.
Quickly after the final whistle, while the CRS had been positioned along Boulevard la Chapelle for several minutes, the first insults rang out and a bottle was thrown. The police responded with a tear gas grenade. The crowd disperses quickly then returns in small clusters. Life quickly returns to normal in the neighborhood. It’s not 8 p.m. and the party is already over.
