ATLANTA: When Algeria and Austria meet in their last group game in Kansas City on Saturday, it will not only be key to both countries hopes of progressing at the World Cup but will also revive memories of one of the tournaments darkest moments.
The only previous time the sides shared a group, Austria were accused of conniving with West Germany to ensure both teams advanced in the tournament and Algeria were eliminated.
The game was later dubbed the “Disgrace of Gijon” after the Spanish city where the 1982 World Cup proved an eventful debut for the North Africans, who upset West Germany in their first match with a shock 2-1 victory.
There were 24 teams in the tournament for the first time in 1982, divided into six groups of four with the top two advancing to a second round of group matches.
Algeria lost their second group game to Austria and beat Chile 3-2, leaving them with four points from their three games at a time when two points were awarded for a win.
The group concluded 24 hours later in Gijon with Austria playing neighbours West Germany and a 1-0 win for the Germans would send both sides through.
West Germany went ahead after 10 minutes through Horst Hrubesch, after which both teams passed the ball around with no intention of adding to the score and contrived a result that squeezed Algeria out on goal difference.
“Even though we had somewhat expected it, we were all angry, outraged and stunned,” said Rabah Madjer, Algerias former African Footballer-of-the-Year.
That two major football nations could agree to eliminate a small country like Algeria, playing in its first World Cup and just emerging on the international stage, was shocking.
German sports magazine Kicker described the proceedings as after about 20 minutes, the attacking intensity faded.
The Austrians, for their part, made no effort to exploit the additional space going forward. Suddenly, nobody seemed interested in playing serious football anymore. What followed was an endless exchange of passes, with few challenges and almost no urgency. Possession was lost mainly through misplaced passes.
French daily LEquipe said there should have been 22 red cards shown to the players of both sides.
Spanish spectators waved white scarves in a traditional sign of disapproval while on Austrian television, commentator Robert Seeger told his viewers: “Turn it off!” German defender Paul Breitner, a World Cup winner in 1974, saw little wrong.
“The public is stupid if it doesn’t understand that qualification was all that mattered here, he said, and FIFA ruled the teams were within their rights to play as passively as they did, in response to an Algerian protest.
The Germans won their three-team second-round group, ahead of England and hosts Spain, and advanced to the semi-finals, where they beat France on penalties before losing to Italy in the final. Austria finished behind France in their second group.
A direct result of the “Disgrace of Gijon” was FIFA changing the rule to ensure the final matches in World Cup group stages are played simultaneously to prevent teams having advance knowledge of what they require to advance and the possibility of manufacturing the outcome of games.
“Many people apologised afterwards. It’s good to acknowledge the harm you’ve caused, but it didn’t change anything for us,” Madjer said.
Published in Dawn, June 26 , 2026
