Marseille announce Algerian date

Olympique de Marseille are set to play a friendly match against an Algerian select team in Algiers on 28 February.

Friendly spirit
The Le Championnat side have arranged the game along with their Algerian peers to foster better relations after a game between France and Algeria ended in unpleasant circumstances last year. "This match is aimed at strengthening the link between our two people," said a Marseille official. "It should help to erase the bad memories of the France versus Algeria friendly."

Algerian roots
The game on 6 October 2001 was stopped after 76 minutes with France in a 4-1 lead after groups of supporters invaded the pitch. With the city of Marseille having such a large Algerian community, however, a much friendlier atmosphere is anticipated for February's game. Hundreds of Marseillans have Algerian roots, the most famous of them being Zinedine Zidane.

Big day for Belmadi
The friendly between the Algerian selection and Marseille will have a special resonance for Djamel Belmadi who plays both for Marseille and the Algerian national team. He scored his country's consolation goal in last year's abandoned match.
 
Exhibition game
The match will be surrounded by cultural events such as music shows with both French and Algerian bands entertaining supporters. The day before the game, another friendly fixture will see a team of former Algerian internationals face a side made up of Marseille greats, including Josip Skobblar and Carlos Mozer.