Living For Football
Nabil Ouchene, Algeria
Goal Click teamed up with Qatar Airways to create a new series telling the inside story of the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar – through the eyes and voices of football fans across the Arab world. Fans from Qatar to Oman, Palestine to Egypt, captured their personal experiences during the tournament, demonstrating the passion for football from these communities.
Nabil Ouchene, originally from Isser in Algeria but living in Doha since 2011, told the story of what football means to him and her community, supporting the Algerian national team, and watching them win the tournament in Doha.
Can you tell us about your football journey and current football life?
My name is Nabil Ouchene. I am a 40-year-old Algerian living in Qatar since 2011, working for Qatar Gas as a Maintenance Engineer. As with all Algerians, my story with football starts at a very young age. Football is the only game I played in my childhood. From 15 to 18 I played with a small team in my town of Isser, a small town near Algiers (the capital of Algeria). When I went to university at the age of 18 I moved to the city of Skikda and I played with the Algerian Petroleum Institute team. Since I started working in Oil and Gas at the age of 26, it was very difficult to find time to play, so I stop playing but I never stopped supporting football.
I was always a football fan. In Algeria I regularly watched matches at the stadium. I never missed any Algerian matches in Algiers until I moved to Qatar. My team in Algeria is MCA (Mouloudia Club d'Alger), and my favorite team in Qatar is Al-Sadd - I watch most of their games.
How was the experience of watching Algeria play live in the Arab Cup?
The FIFA Arab Cup was a big festival, it was simply an amazing, unforgettable event. Watching a FIFA event where my country participated and won is like a dream that I wished would never end. The best moment was the goal of Yacine Brahimi, the second goal for Algeria against Tunisia. The match was very tough, Tunisia was pressing our team right up to the last minute of extra time.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning?
Most people don’t know anything about Algeria, except Mahrez or a few stories about football. When I was taking photos, I focused on “Algerians” and “Algeria fans”. I wanted to tell the story of one of the most passionate sets of supporters in football. I tried to show the love of the Algerian community for football - males and females, young and old people, these supporters who made the most beautiful atmosphere in the stadium and outside the stadium. Algerians don’t only watch football, they live it.
Are there any good stories connected with the specific fans you photographed?
I can tell a story of two friends: Nabil (myself) and Okacha. We are from two different cities very far away (1200km), The he only thing that connects us is the love of Algerian national team.
I met Okacha for the first time in 2014 in a stadium in Algeria, because of his unique and famous hat (“Al-Midhal” in Arabic المظل ). After that we never missed any football game. Okacha comes from very far away city in Algeria, Al Bayyadh. With his traditional dress, he is very original and very authentic. He is the only Algerian who wears the old traditional dress at the World Cup and outside Algeria.
He came from a poor area in the southeast of Algeria. His biggest dream was to watch the national team in the capital of Algeria. Because of his passion and commitment, he started following the Algerian team match by match, and started moving with the national team wherever they went. Now his name and his “Midhal” has become the symbol of Algerian fans, like the “sombrero” for the Mexicans. Even the Algeria players take photos with Okacha’s “Midhal”.
What role does football play in your Algerian community?
For the Algerian community in Qatar, football is part of our lifestyle and community tradition. We are organizing tournaments frequently. For us football is about uniting and gathering.
In our culture, supporting the Algerian team is part of our patriotism. Supporting football is supporting the flag. As an Algerian in Qatar, it is my duty to lead the supporters and make the necessary arrangements to make it unique and remarkable.
What does football mean to you? What ambitions do you have for the future?
Football is a big part of my life. It gives many moments of joy and happiness, moments of pleasure. In the future, I will be more prepared for the World Cup as a fan leader, I will travel more to watch our Algerian team, and I will be here in Qatar when they come for the World Cup.
How is Qatar changing ahead of the World Cup? Do you have a message for the world ahead of the World Cup?
I believe that Qatar is making a big change to the view of the Arab region by the world through its amazing constructions and infrastructure - and demonstrating the Qatari and Arabic culture of welcoming the other and hosting them in a beautiful and lovely environment. The full region is impacted by hosting this World Cup. The World Cup will be a unique, beautiful, splendid event, from social, cultural, and sporting perspectives. It will be the best World Cup in the history.
