5:45 AM, early July. A clammy heat already clings to my clothes and the ancient stones of this place. While Algiers still sleeps, the true guardians of the Casbah are already at work. No diplomas—just backs bent by five centuries of history, bearing the invisible weight of these alleyways. 

A Tuesday afternoon only Algiers could conjure. In the labyrinth of the Casbah, a café terrace calls to me not just with steaming mint tea, but with an unusual invitation: to taste tradition by donning the « Haik », that poetic veil of Algerian women.

The Mouloudia d’Alger (MCA) isn’t just a football club - it’s a century-old institution, an emblem of Algerian history. A legacy that ignites hearts when one considers the circumstances of its birth. In a capital city transformed by graffiti and flags, this particular symbol transcends time.