Algeria eye revenge in first match against Austria since ‘shame of Gijón’

H ow long do football grudges last? It has long been argued that Brazil never truly recovered from the Maracanazo , or, if they did, it took decades. The same might be said of the English football community and Diego’ Maradona’s “Hand of God” . In Algeria, the national wound was inflicted at the 1982 World Cup and has been universally referred to as “ the Shame of Gijón ”. Almost exactly 44 years later, a potential reckoning for that arrives when Algeria play Austria in their final group match, with a last-32 place on the line. In the summer of 1982 Algeria was a young nation, two decades removed from 132 years of colonial rule. Unless one was versed in African independence movements or the doctrine of third-worldism, Algeria was unlikely to register in most people’s political thinking. The World Cup , held in Spain, was a rare and precious platform for the country to announce itself, and the team seized the opportunity. In their opening match, Algeria beat West Germany, the reigning European champions, 2-1. A defeat by Austria followed but Algeria recovered to beat Chile in their final group fixture. Crucially, that was played the day before West Germany faced Austria, giving the two European sides the luxury of knowing what result they required. A West Germany win by one or two goals would mean both advanced on goal difference. Salah Assad, who started Algeria’s three matches at the 1982 World Cup, says he and his teammates anticipated what was coming. …