JS SAOURA: ALGERIA'S GATEWAY TO THE SAHARA

There are plenty of tough places to go for a CAF Champions League away game this season. But few can rival the harsh climes of the desert, where Algerian club JS Saoura are from.

The Eagles, who are based in Béchar – a city often referred to as “the gateway to the Sahara”, finished as runners-up in the Ligue Professionelle 1 last season and sealed their spot in the qualifying rounds of the CAF Champions League.

So how did a club from this Saharan outpost ascend to Algeria’s top table in record time? Just how difficult is it for their domestic rivals who travel 3,000 kilometres to the desert? And what are their chances against Horoya of Guinea in the first round?

Plus, Mauritian upstarts La Cure Waves prepare for their first game on the African mainland, Lesotho’s Lijabatho FC come up with a curious funeral scheme for their fans and Burkinabe club Rahimo FC’s bus company business model proves a hit.

Join us on Patreon at for Monday’s bumper bonus podcast featuring tales such as the Kenyan dispute that has delayed the start to the season and the renegade Italian club wearing an illegal kit that the authorities have not yet spotted.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:17 – JS Saoura: The gateway to the desert

04:31 – La Cure Waves: The holiday island upstarts

09:40 – The countries not in the Champions League

13:35 – Patreon plug for Monday’s episode

14:58 – Lijabatho FC: The funeral schemers

18:35 – Rahimo FC: The wholesome bus boys