Sahrawi national football team

Last updated
Western Sahara
Western Sahara.svg
Nickname(s) Los Dromedarios (The Dromedaries) [1]
Association Sahrawi Football Federation
Confederation ConIFA
Head coachSidahmed Erguibi Ahmed Baba Haiai
Top scorer Sahla Ahmed Budah (3)
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First colours
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Second colours
Elo ranking
Current 191 Steady2.svg(18 January 2019) [2]
Highest187 (2012)
Lowest191 (2018)
First international
Unofficial
Flag of Galicia.svg  Galicia 2–1 Western Sahara XI Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg
(Teo, Spain; 23 December 2011)
Official
Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Western Sahara 0–6 Iraqi Kurdistan  Flag of Kurdistan.svg
(Erbil, Iraq; 4 June 2012)
Biggest win
Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Western Sahara 5–1 Darfur  Bandera Darfur.svg
(Erbil, Iraq; 7 June 2012)
Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Western Sahara 4–0 Esperanto Flag of Esperanto.svg
(Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; 31 July 2015)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Tibet.svg  Tibet 12–2 Western Sahara  Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg
(Marseille, France; 28 June 2013)
Viva World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2012 )
Best result6th (2012)

The Sahrawi national football team represents Western Sahara, a disputed territory, in association football. Controlled by the Sahrawi Football Federation, they are members of ConIFA for non-FIFA-affiliated nations.

Western Sahara Disputed Territory

Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa, partially controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and partially occupied by neighboring Morocco. Its surface area amounts to 266,000 square kilometres (103,000 sq mi). It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly consisting of desert flatlands. The population is estimated at just over 500,000, of which nearly 40% live in Laayoune, the largest city in Western Sahara.

Association football team field sport

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played with a spherical ball between two teams of eleven players. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies, making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field called a pitch with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by moving the ball beyond the goal line into the opposing goal.

Sahrawi Football Federation

The Sahrawi Football Federation (FSF) is the governing body of association football in Western Sahara, a territory that is disputed between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It was formed in 1989 and it is based in the city of Laayoune. The board runs the Sahrawi national football team. The Sahrawi Football Federation hosts the Sahrawi Republic Cup.

Contents

History

Origins (1984–2003)

Many teams have represented Western Sahara, or the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), in unofficial matches. The first known games were played against Algerian league teams in 1984, before the creation of the Sahrawi Football Federation. [3] In 1986, 1987 and 1994, friendly matches were played against Algerian, Spanish and Italian league teams. In 1988, a Sahrawi Republic team played with Le Mans UC 72 in France, losing 3–2. On 27 February 2001, during the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the SADR, a match was played in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria between a Sahrawi Republic team and a Basque Country veterans team. The match was attended by more than 4,000 fans, and was abandoned during the second half owing to the temperature (38 °C) with the score at 2–2. [4]

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Partially recognised state of Western Sahara

The Sahrawi Republic, officially the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, is a partially recognized state that claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of that territory. Until 1976, Western Sahara was known as Spanish Sahara, a Spanish colony.

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Algeria country in North Africa

Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. The capital and most populous city is Algiers, located in the far north of the country on the Mediterranean coast. With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres (919,595 sq mi), Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world, and the largest in Africa. Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. The country is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes (counties).

NF-Board membership and foundation (2003–2012)

On 12 December 2003, the Sahrawi Football Federation became provisionally affiliated to the Nouvelle Fédération Board. [5] In 2007, a team representing Western Sahara beat Macau 1–0. On 23 December 2011, a team from the Spanish region of Galicia beat a team composed of members of the Sahrawi diaspora in Spain 2–1, in a match played in Teo that was attended by 1,500 fans. [6] On 5 December 2009, three Sahrawi representatives participated in the 6th General Assembly of the N.F.-Board in Paris, France. [7]

Macau national football team national association football team

The Macau national football team represents the Chinese special administrative region of Macau in international association football. The team is supervised by the Macau Football Association. The Macau football team has a ranking that is one of the lowest among the FIFA members. Although usually known as simply Macau, the EAFF refers to the team as Macau, China.

Diaspora dispersion of ethnic communities

A diaspora (/daɪˈæspərə/) is a scattered population whose origin lies in a separate geographic locale. In particular, diaspora has come to refer to involuntary mass dispersions of a population from its indigenous territories, most notably the expulsion of Jews from the Land of Israel and the fleeing of Greeks after the fall of Constantinople. Other examples are the African transatlantic slave trade, the southern Chinese or Indians during the coolie trade, the Irish during and after the Irish Famine, the Romani from India, the Italian diaspora, the exile and deportation of Circassians, and the emigration of Anglo-Saxon warriors and their families after the Norman Conquest of England.

Spain Kingdom in Southwest Europe

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country mostly located on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

On 25 March 2012, Mohamed Moulud Mohamed Fadel, SADR Minister for Youth and Sports, announced the official creation of the Sahrawi national football team. [8]

2012 VIVA World Cup

The Sahrawi national football team made its official international début at the inauguration match of the 5th VIVA World Cup, playing against the host team, Kurdistan at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Arbil, Iraq on 4 June 2012. [9] The Dromedaries lost 6–0 to the team which went on to win the tournament. Their next match was against Occitania, a 6–2 defeat, and the team finished in third position in Group A. [10] The next match was a play-off against Darfur, and ended in a 5–1 victory, Sahrawi's first official international victory. They beat Raetia 3–0 before losing the fifth place match 3–1 to Occitania. [11]

Franso Hariri Stadium stadium

Franso Hariri Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. It is currently used mostly for football matches and also has facilities for athletics. The stadium has an official capacity of 19,000. The stadium was built on an old airfield in 1956 and was redeveloped in 1992. The stadium was home to the old Brusk club and was named the Erbil Stadium until 2001. It was renamed the Martyr Franso Hariri Stadium in honor of the assassinated governor Franso Hariri, who supported efforts to renovate the stadium.

Iraq republic in Western Asia

Iraq, officially known as the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia, bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the west. The capital, and largest city, is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups including Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians, Turkmen, Shabakis, Yazidis, Armenians, Mandeans, Circassians and Kawliya. Around 95% of the country's 37 million citizens are Muslims, with Christianity, Yarsan, Yezidism and Mandeanism also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.

Occitania national football team national association football team

The Occitania national football team is the football team of Occitania, which is the name given to areas of southern France, westernmost Italy and a small valley in northern Spain where the Occitan language is spoken. It is controlled by the Associacion Occitania de Fotbol. As Occitania is not a recognised state it is neither a member of FIFA nor UEFA, and the team therefore is not eligible to enter either the World Cup or European Championship. They are members of the New Federations Board, and hosted the inaugural VIVA World Cup in November 2006 where they finished 3rd.

The Sahrawi national football team and federation had to face a deal made between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Government of Morocco, which consisted of avoiding the display of the SADR flag during ceremonies and matches of the VIVA tournament. [12] Despite this, the SADR team managed to arrange extraofficial deals with all their rivals to fly the Sahrawi flag wave on the stadiums where they played their matches. [13] [14] [15] [16]

Kurdistan Regional Government Ruling body of the Iraqi Kurdistan region

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is the official ruling body of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Present (2012–current)

On 31 July 2015, the Sahrawi team beat the Esperanto Team by 4–0 at the Stadium Lille Métropole. The match was part of the Zamenhof Cup, event made during the 100th World Esperanto Congress. [17]

On 13 April 2018, the ConIFA announces the death of El-Mahfoud Welad, the goalkeeper of the selection of Western Sahara, who was killed during the 2018 Algerian Air Force Il-76 crash.

Match locations

Due to the Western Sahara conflict, their home stadium, El Aaiun Stadium, is in the Moroccan-occupied part of the territory. For this reason, until 2012 matches were played either abroad or in Sahrawi refugee camps.[ citation needed ]

Selected internationals

DateVenueOpponentScore
17 June 2017friendly game – Algeria Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Emblem of the United Nations.svg UNHCR 3–3
31 June 20152015 Zamenhof Cup – France Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of Esperanto.svg Esperanto 4–0
28 June 20132013 International Tournament of Peoples, Cultures and Tribes – France Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of Tibet.svg  Tibet 2–12
24 June 20132013 International Tournament of Peoples, Cultures and Tribes – France Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of Kurdistan.svg  Iraqi Kurdistan 0–6
23 June 20132013 International Tournament of Peoples, Cultures and Tribes – France Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of France.svg UGA Ardeiv3–17
9 June 2012 2012 VIVA World Cup  – Kurdistan Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of Occitania (with star).svg  Occitania 1–3
8 June 2012 2012 VIVA World Cup  – Kurdistan Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of Raetia.svg  Raetia 3–0
7 June 2012 2012 VIVA World Cup  – Kurdistan Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Bandera Darfur.svg  Darfur 5–1
5 June 2012 2012 VIVA World Cup  – Kurdistan Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of Occitania (with star).svg  Occitania 2–6
4 June 2012 2012 VIVA World Cup  – Kurdistan Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara Flag of Kurdistan.svg  Iraqi Kurdistan 0–6
23 December 2011 Friendly match  – Galicia Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Western Sahara XIFlag of Galicia.svg  Galicia 1–2
2007 Friendly match  – Unknown Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Western Sahara XIFlag of Macau.svg  Macau 1–0
1988 Friendly match  – Unknown Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Western Sahara XI Flag of France.svg Le Mans UC 72 2–3

Tournament records

VIVA World Cup record

VIVA World Cup
YearRoundPosGPWDLGSGA
Flag of Occitania (with star).svg 2006 Did not enter–––––––
Sami flag.svg 2008 Did not enter–––––––
Flag of Padania.svg 2009 Did not enter–––––––
Flag of Gozo.svg 2010 Did not enter–––––––
Flag of Kurdistan.svg 2012 5th place6th520311–16
Total1/5Best: 6th520311–16

Related Research Articles

Political status of Western Sahara

Western Sahara, formerly the Spanish colony of Spanish Sahara, is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro, which is an independence movement based in Algeria. It is listed by the United Nations (UN) as a non-decolonized territory and is thus included in the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Elections in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Elections in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic gives information on election and election results in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

Bir Lehlou Municipality and town in Western Sahara

Bir Lehlou is an oasis town in north-eastern Western Sahara, 236 km from Smara, near the Mauritanian border and east of the border wall, in Polisario Front-held territory. It has a dispensary, a school and a mosque. It is the head of the 5th military region of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and was the factual temporary capital of SADR until Tifariti became the temporary capital in 2008. It is also the name of a Daïra of the Wilaya of Smara, in the Sahrawi refugee camps.

Scouting and Guiding in Western Sahara

Scouting exists in Western Sahara both as part of the Fédération Nationale du Scoutisme Marocain as well as independent groups.

Tifariti Municipality and town in Western Sahara

Tifariti is an oasis town located in north-eastern Western Sahara, east of the Moroccan Berm, 138 km (86 mi) from Smara and 15 km (9 mi) north of the Mauritanian border. It is part of what Polisario Front call the Liberated Territories and Morocco call the Buffer Zone. It has been the de facto temporary capital of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since the government moved there in 2008 from Bir Lehlou. It is the headquarters of the 2nd military region of the SADR.

N.F.-Board

The N.F.-Board was a federation of football associations established on 12 December 2003 and defunct since January 2013 It was made up of teams that represent nations, dependencies, unrecognized states, minorities, stateless peoples, regions and micronations not affiliated to FIFA. One of the founders was Luc Misson, a lawyer who represented Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bosman in a case that led to the Bosman ruling.

Sahrawi National Council

The Sahrawi National Council (SNC) or Sahrawi Parliament is the legislature of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its structure and competences are guided by the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The present speaker since 2010 is Khatri Addouh.

Foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

The foreign relations of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) are conducted by the Polisario Front, which maintains a network of representation offices and embassies in foreign countries.

Politics of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

The politics of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic refers to politics of the Polisario Front's proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic - an unrecognized country in North Africa, controlling parts of the Western Sahara region.

The Sahrawi peseta is the currency of the partially recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It is divided in 100 céntimos, although coins with this denomination have never been minted, nor have banknotes been printed. The official international currency code is EHP.

The VIVA World Cup was an international association football tournament organized by the New Federation Board, an umbrella association for teams unaffiliated with FIFA, held five times between 2006 and 2012. It is succeeded by the newly organized ConIFA World Football Cup, which was first held in 2014.

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic–South Africa relations

Sahrawi Republic–South Africa relations are the current and historical relations between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in Western Sahara and the Republic of South Africa. Formal diplomatic relations were established at ambassador level in 2004, during the Thabo Mbeki government. A Sahrawi embassy was opened in Pretoria, and the South-African embassy in Algiers was accredited to the SADR.

Mexico–Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic relations international relations between states

Mexico–Sahrawi Republic relations refers to the current and historical relations between Mexico and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Mexico recognized the SADR on 8 September 1979.

Women in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Women in the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic are women who were born in, who live in, or are from the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in the region of the Western Sahara. In Sahrawi society, the women share responsibilities at every level of its community and social organization. Article 41 of the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ensures that the state will pursue "the promotion of women and [their] political, social and cultural participation, in the construction of society and the country's development".

Western Saharan cuisine

Western Saharan cuisine comprises the cuisine of Western Sahara, a disputed territory in the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the extreme northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Western Saharan cuisine has several influences, as the population of that area (Sahrawi), in their most part are of Arabic and Berber origin. The Saharawi cuisine is also influenced by Spanish cuisine owing to Spanish colonisation.

References

  1. ↑ Zoo africano Pablo Aro Geraldes – International football journalism (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  3. ↑ The Dromedaries Archived 2013-02-22 at the Wayback Machine Ed Stubbs – In Bed With Maradona, 15 February 2013
  4. ↑ "República Sahara – Euskadi". Ueskadiko Futbol Federakundea – Federación Vasca de Fútbol. Retrieved 2012-03-28.(in Spanish)
  5. ↑ "List Federations Affiliated to NF-Board". N.F.-Board. Archived from Nouvelle Fédération-Board the original Check |url= value (help) on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  6. ↑ "La selección gallega venció al combinado saharahui en Teo". El Correo Gallego. 2011-12-26. Retrieved 2012-03-30.(in Spanish)
  7. ↑ Press release N.F.-Board N° 24: [ permanent dead link ] N.F.-Board
  8. ↑ "Establishment of Saharawi national football team (Minister of Youth and Sport)". SPS. 2012-03-25. Archived from the original on 2012-06-26. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
  9. ↑ Arsalan Abdullah (2012-05-31). "2012 VIVA World Cup matches kick off Monday". AK News. Archived from the original on 2012-06-02. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  10. ↑ "WESTERN SAHARA – OCCITANIA 2/6". Vivaworldcup2012.com. 05-06-2012. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2012-06-19.Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ↑ "Calendar results". Vivaworldcup2012.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  12. ↑ James M. Dorsey (2012-06-15). "Iraqi Kurds' VIVA World Cup win rises hopes for nationhood". Hurriyet . Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  13. ↑ Andoni Lubaki I (2012-06-17). "La selección de las arenas vuelve a casa". Gara . Retrieved 2012-07-06.(in Spanish)
  14. ↑ Viva 2012 World Cup i Iraqi Kurdistan Saharawi National Football Team Facebook
  15. ↑ Sahara Occidental – Rhétie, 3–0 sous le soleil kurde APSO
  16. ↑ VIVA World Cup 2012 ™, Occitanie – Sahara Occidental, 6–2 APSO
  17. ↑ James Patrick Goprdon (1 August 2015). "Esperanto vs Western Sahara Challenges Our Ideas of What International Football Looks Like". Paste Magazine . Retrieved 26 June 2016.
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