Oran

Foundation of the first Mouloudia (1917)

The Mouloudia Club Musulman Oranais (MCM Oran) was founded and declared on 1 January 1917 in Medina Jedida but the declaration was approved by the French authorities on 4 December 1919 after changing the home place of the club. The club was named Mouloudia referring to Mawlid (the birthday of Muhammad) hence the name Mouloudia of Mawlid.

In 1924, the club merged with Hamidia Club Musulman Oranais (HCM Oran), this club was founded in 1921. And in 1931, the club's name became Mouloudia Club Oranais.

In 1939, the club stopped his sport activities because the World War II until the end of the war in 1945.

In 1946, Ali Bentouti a former player and member of MCM Oran decided to form the club under the name of Mouloudia Club Oranais on 14 May 1946.

Formation (1946–1962)

The Mouloudia Club Oranais began on 14 May 1946, when nationalists activists formed the team of Mouloudia Club Oranais, a Muslim club in the district of El Hamri (former Lamur) in Oran to compete with European clubs at a time when Algeria was a French district (French Algeria). Mohamed Bessol, one of the founding members was a player, coach, and general secretary of the club until 1967. Other founding members were Ali Bentouti, Omar Abouna, Redouane Serik Boutaleb, and also Mohamed Serradj, Ali Tounsi, Belaid Bachir, Bensenouci Mahi, Bloufa Benhadad, Mahmoud Benahmed, Miloud Bendraou, Miloud Cherigui, Ali Aroumia, Kada Fali.

The founding ceremony of Mouloudia was assisted by Cheïkh Saïd Zamouchi, delegated by Sheikh Si Tayeb Al Mahaji (imam, writer and member of the Association of Algerian Muslim Ulema) led by Sheikh Abdelhamid Ben Badis.

Mouloudia Club Oranais began his first competition, in the 1946–47 season in the third division of the regional championship of the League of Oran (3F/O) after inscription in the France Football Federation.

The course of the club from 1946 to 1956 is unknown. And from 1956 to 1962 (the independence year of Algeria), MC Oran block all its sports activities by order of the FLN because Algerian War.

After independence (1962–1977)

The Mouloudia Club Oranais start in the first competition of Algeria independent in 1962–63 season on high level, it qualified for the final tournament of the championship of the first two seasons, 1962–63 and 1963–64 which were composed of three groups (Algiers, Oran and Constantine). It finished second in the group of Oran in both seasons, unfortunately not a qualifying place for the semi-finals, but this place already earned the team a status of a great club. In the following seasons, it will be runner-up twice consecutively in 1968 and 1969 were the legendary striker Abdelkader Fréha was Algerian championship top scorer in both seasons.

In the 1970s and with more experienced players such as Abdelkader Fréha, Abdellah Kechra, Lahouari Beddiar and Miloud Hadefi. The Mouloudia d'Oran brought back for the season 1970–71 Portuguese coach Carlos Gomes. The Mouloudia will win its first title of its history, the supreme title of champion of Algeria for the season 1970–71.

Four years later after winning the first Algeria title in 1971, MC Oran won the first Algerian Cup in 1975, beating the MO Constantine in the final on 19 June in Algiers at the Stade du 5 Juillet in front of 70,000 spectators, It finish the competition with a record of the best attack of the time in the cup competition.

Sport reform and the era of the great MP Oran (1977–1989)

In 1977, Algerian government decided to reform national sports, it was applied throughout the country, the sports clubs are supported by the national societies and become semi-professionals. Naftal (National Society of Marketing and Distribution of Petroleum Products) sponsors the club. Mouloudia changed its name and became Mouloudia Pétroliers d'Oran (MP Oran). Under the leadership of coach Saïd Amara, and in addition to grandiose players like Sid Ahmed Belkedrouci (top scorer in the championship in 1975), the team is reinforced by talented players like Lakhdar Belloumi or Tedj Bensaoula and finished third in 1979. She is also semi-finalist of the Algerian Cup in 1978 and 1979 and Lakhdar Belloumi was elected top scorer of the championship in 1979.

During the 1980s, and particularly from 1983 onwards, a new generation of players such as Benyagoub Sebbah, Habib Benmimoun, Mourad Meziane, Bachir Mecheri, Tahar Chérif El-Ouazzani, wins the Algerian Cup on two consecutive occasions in 1984 and 1985, which will open the doors to the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1985 and 1986. And with the reinforcement of the team by Nacerdine Drid (1986), Karim Maroc (1987) and the return of Lakhdar Belloumi in 1987, the team becomes more stronger and become semi-finalist of Algerian Cup in 1986, 1988 and 1989 and Algerian Championship runners-up in 1987 but in 1988, the team wins the supreme title of champion of Algeria.

Favour to this title, the Mouloudia takes part in the African Cup of champions clubs in 1989 and loses a final on penalties well-deserved after a total domination of the competition to the return match at the Stade Ahmed Zabana against Raja Casablanca in front of 40,000 spectators.

National domination (1990–2000)

The early 1990s marked the end of the sport reform. Consequently, Naftal ceases to sponsor the club which takes its former name of Mouloudia Club of Oran. The club has always played the leading roles at national and international level since 1962, but in the 1990s he dominated national football with a new generation, Abdelhafid Tasfaout, Sid Ahmed Zerrouki, Ali Meçabih supported by experienced players such as Tahar Chérif El-Ouazzani or Omar Belatoui. The decade begins with the two championships won consecutively in 1992 and 1993 with Abdelhafid Tasfaout best scorer in both seasons. The Mouloudia will be four times Algerian championship runners-up in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000 and will win in 1996 an historic double Algerian Cup and League Cup. It will also be a finalist in the Algerian Supercup in 1992, the Algeria Cup in 1998 and the League Cup in 2000.