Algeria Thirsting: The Self-Proclaimed Regional Power Without Water… Even for Its Players!
An unprecedented scandal erupted in Algeria on Friday night during the international match against Somalia, part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Before the eyes of the world, the captain of the Fennecs, Riyad Mahrez, was shocked to discover that there was no water available for the Algerian players. Yes, you read that right: not a single bottle of water on the bench! The surreal scene, broadcast live and gone viral on social media, became a tragic symbol of a country in decline.
The Mirage of a “Regional Power” in Decay
Algeria likes to present itself as a “major regional power.” But behind this arrogant façade maintained by an aging military regime, the country is sinking into chronic decay.
Water shortages in cities and villages, shortages of milk, oil, medicine, electricity, diesel—and now even drinking water during an international football match. This is the sad reality of a nation rich in resources but ruined by corruption, incompetence, and repression.
This latest grotesque episode perfectly illustrates the collapse of a state that invests neither in its infrastructure nor in the well-being of its people, preferring instead to squander billions in oil and gas revenues on propaganda and absurd military spending.
A Thirsty, Humiliated, and Abandoned People
While the military regime clings to its privileges and fills the airwaves with hollow speeches about “national greatness,” the Algerian people endure daily suffering, deprivation, and humiliation.
In many cities, water now runs only one or two hours a day—if at all. Supermarkets are frequently empty, prices are soaring, and youth unemployment has reached alarming levels.
And to top it all off, the scene of October 9 gave the world a perfect snapshot of this authoritarian absurdity: a country incapable of providing a basic service to its own athletes, live in front of millions of viewers.
When Propaganda Drowns in Ridicule
The regime in Algiers, which spends its time boasting on state TV and meddling in the affairs of its neighbors, should start by cleaning up its own house.
The scandal of the “match without water” will remain a glaring symbol of the failure of the military-political system that has ruled for decades—a system that has turned a once-promising nation into a field of administrative and moral ruins.
While the Algerian people struggle to survive, the regime stubbornly clings to its illusion of power. But even that illusion is cracking. For when a so-called “regional power” can no longer provide water to hydrate its national champions, it has nothing left to prove—except its own collapse.
Translated from Abderrazzak Boussaid’s French article – le7tv
