October 13, 2022
Entente Sportive Setifienne, commonly shortened to ES Setif or ESS, are one of the most successful clubs in Algeria, having won the league title 8 times since the competition was formed after independence from France in 1962. They have also won the Algerian Cup 8 times, and are one of three Algerian sides to have won the CAF Champions League, being successful in 1988 and 2014, the latter when they beat DR Congo side AS Vita on the away goals rule following a 2-2 draw in Kinshasa and a 1-1 draw in the return home leg.
Setif is the 4th largest city in Algeria, after Algiers, Oran and Constantine, with an estimated population of 800,000. It is located in the eastern part of the country, 270km from the capital Algiers, and at an altitude of 1,100 metres on the Hautes Plaines. As such it’s climate ranges from snow not being uncommon in the winter, with extreme heat in July and August.
The 8th May 1945 protest and massacre in Setif is considered to be starting point for the Algerian war of independence, and the town’s football stadium is named the 8 May 1945 Stadium, which is where ES Setif play. The capacity of the ground varies from 18,000 to 25,000 depending on which source you refer too, and it has an artificial grass pitch, with a running track around it .
The home colours of ES Setif are white shirts with black shorts, giving rise to their nickname of Les Aigles Noir ( The Black Eagles ).
ESS started the day in 9th place in the table with a 2-2-1 record, with victories over RC Arbaa ( H 1-0 ) and NC Magra ( A 1-0 ), with draws recorded against CS Constantine ( H 0-0 ) and US Biskra ( A 2-2 ) , with the solitary loss being a 0-4 thumping at ASO Chief. Midfielder Ahmed Kendouci, who has 1 cap for Algeria, had scored two of their 4 league goals but was missing today.
Ligue Professionelle I consists of 16 sides who play each other home and away for a 30 game season. JS Kabylie have won the most titles ( 14 ) although their last success was in 2007/08, and the current champions are Algiers based CR Belouizdad, who have won the last three championships. ES Setif finished 7th last season, after being runners-up in 2021/22.
The league is ranked the 4th best in Africa, entitling the top 2 to enter the CAF Champions League, with 3rd and 4th going into the CAF Confederations Cup. Algerian sides are permitted to sign only two foreign players.
Today’s visitors to the 8 May 1945 Stadium were Union Sportive de la Medina Khenchela, who won the Centre-East Group of Ligue Professionelle II, with just one defeat in 30 games to earn promotion to the top level for only the second time ever, having suffered immediate relegation in their one season in the 1970s.
USMK faced a baptism of fire, beginning their campaign against two of last season’s top 5 and perhaps unsurprisingly fell to defeats at CS Constantine ( A 1-3 ) and at home to USM Alger ( H 0-1 ), and then slid to a third loss, 0-2 at MC El Bayadh. However, they rapidly turned things around, and went into today’s fixture with three wins on the bounce without conceding a goal as HB Chelghoum Laid, Paradou AC and MC Oran were all vanquished as USMK moved up to 8th in the table, one place and one point above ESS. The three sides beaten though were currently in the bottom four in the table, so the trip to ESS promised to be a better test of their credentials. Sofiane Bayazid was their top scorer, having grabbed both goals in the 2-0 win at HB Chelghoum Laid.
Khenchela is located even further east of Setif, close to the border with Tunisia and in the Atlas Mountains, with an estimated population of 120,000. The distance between the two cities is just over 200km by road, which usually takes around 3 and half hours.
The temperature at the 16.30 kick-off local time was 22 degrees with the weather sunny. Setif were 3/4 favourites with William Hill, with Khenchela at 4/1 and the draw at 21/10.
Khenchela started with their two foreigners, Ghanian midfielder Maxwell Baakoh, who signed from Egyptian side Ceramica Cleopatra, and Nigerian striker Tosin Omoyele, who has two caps for his country.
ES Setif started with one foreign player, Nigerian forward Godwin Okwara who featured in these diaries whilst playing for Uzbekistan side Mash’Al Mubarek. French born full-back Drice Chaabi played for Belgian side Frans Borans ( a ground I have visited ) but qualifies as an Algerian.
The visitors brought a decent number of away supporters, with perhaps up to 1,000 fans behind one goal. Most of the home support was gathered at the opposite end, with the large uncovered seated stand on the far of the pitch from the cameras sparsely populated.
USMK were playing in red shirts with a few black tiger stripes down the front, but from a distance it looked dark orange ! The name of the players on the backs of both side’s shirts were in Roman script rather than Arabic, which helped with their identification !
Setif had most of the early possession, and were also prepared to play the long ball, but the USMK defence were largely untroubled, apart from a long range shot from Ghiles Guenaoui requiring a diving push away from keeper Abdelhamid Brahimi.
USMK’s first foray into the Setif area came in the 12th minute when Omoleye shot over the bar from just inside the 18 yard line, but was adjudged to have to pushed a defender in winning the ball. Shortly after, Aib’s dangerous cross from the right wing was dealt with by a diving push away by the home keeper. The visitors then enjoyed a spell of possession as Setif sat back rather than press the ball player, and Omoleye, playing as a lone striker impressed with his hold-up play and lay-offs to his midfielders.
With just under 20 minutes played, Setif took a short corner to Tabti, who stepped inside Omoleye and send a left footed shot just high and wide. Okwara, standing in an offside position, attempted to head the shot but failed to make contact, and received a slight kick from the goalkeeper who was desperately trying to cover the shot. A minor flare-up followed, but peace was quickly restored.
A quick counter from the home side saw Askar get into a threatening position inside the area on the left-hand side, but a tremendous sliding tackle from Bayazid ended the danger at the expense of a corner. There were half-hearted appeals for a penalty, which were dismissed by the referee.
Setif finished the half strongly, after a pull-back from the by-line Walid Zamoum sent a first time side-footer just over the bar, an inviting cross from the left by Zamoum found Okwara 6 yards out but the Nigerian put his header wide, and then a minute later a first time cross-volley on the right side of the area by Guenaoui bounced across the face of the goal but Okwara, just inside the 6 yard box at the far post failed to make contact.
Khenchela’s response was a free-kick by Baakoh from 40 yards which went narrowly wide, although in any case, a keeper shouldn’t be beaten from that distance. It remained scoreless at the interval but Setif would have been encouraged by the way they had finished the half.
The second-half started quietly, with only Guenaoui’s long range free-kick the only piece of action, and even that was easily saved. A lucky bounce in the 54th minute put Zamoum clear on the left, but his cross-cum-shot from a tight angle went over the bar.
The opening goal of the encounter finally arrived in the 57th minute. The home side needlessly gave away a free-kick as Askar tripped Baakoh near the half-way line. Khenchela didn’t waste too much time taking the set-piece and Aib’s kick found his one team-mate in the Setif area, and Bayazid beat Salem to steer his header into the bottom corner from close to the penalty spot.
Falling behind, Setif stepped up their game but again, despite having most of the possession they lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch. A 68th minute free-kick from Zamoum was unconventionally saved by the USMK shot-stopper, choosing to kick the ball away rather than make a low catch. Hachoud headed a corner a few feet over the bar, and substitute Bouchama shot weakly from outside the area.
Khenchala looked to safely holding onto their lead, but two minutes from time Tabti was pulled back close to the penalty area. Chaoutti’s free-kick curled over the defensive wall but Brahimi again preferred the unorthodox, choosing to push the ball away rather than make the straight-forward catch.
With added time being played, USMK were able to take play to the other end of the pitch and won a corner. Hadded sent the corner into the danger zone and Omoyele was prevented from making a close range header by substitute Brahimi pulling him back for an obvious penalty. Khenchela captain Sameur stepped up and sent his spot-kick into the right-hand corner to clinch the three points.
There was still time for Setif to try and pull one goal back, and a through ball saw the two Brahimi’s challenge for it, both missed the ball and the Setif player fell to the floor claiming a penalty. The referee decided to award a corner. Zamoum’s inswinger saw Akziz get in front of the keeper to head home from close range for a consolation. Although there was still time for the game to restart, Setif were unable to create anything and fell to their first home defeat of the season.
Khenchala chalked up their fourth consecutive victory, and they rarely looked like relinquishing their advantage once they took the lead.
ES Setif : Ferrahi – Salem, Hachoud, Chaabi – Guenaoui ( Akziz ), Serraou ( Bouchama ), Yattou, Tabti, Zamoum – Okwara ( Brahimi ), Askar
USM Khenchela : Brahimi – Aib, Saddou, Kaddour, Sameur – Hadded, Bayazid ( Attou ) , Baakoh ( Semahi ), Meddah, Zaidi ( Aichi ) – Omoyele ( Athmani )
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