Pentagon Challenge - Season 3 (2025/26) - Part 2

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 Season 2025/26 - CS Constantine - Algerian Ligue 1

There were no league games in January due to the AFCON, so we just played a bunch of friendlies to keep match sharpness up,  Worryingly, we lost to our own U21s team in one of them, and it wasn't even like it was a fluke result as the performance was poor to go alongside it.  Thankfully, it didn't seem to impact squad morale in any way.

February 2026

February went well until the end.  2 league games won and progressing in the cup.  However, we ended with a surprising loss to struggling MC El Bayadh who took the lead in the 7th minute and although we dominated the rest of the game, we just weren't able to find the breakthrough,  Their goalkeeper won the Player of the Match award, which indicates that he was kept busy, but was on excellent form annoyingly!

March 2026


An excellent month, where every match was a well deserved win.  We also progressed to the semi final of the cup, and ended the month with a friendly because we had a significant gap between games and I wanted to ensure squad fitness was kept up.

April 2026

This was the month where we effectively handed the title to CR Bélouizdad.  After a friendly  win at the start of the season, we played them again and lost again.  It was a lot closer this time, and once again we were done by an opposing keeper earning the Player of the Match award.  We then dropped 2-0 leads in successive games against the Alger teams, before finally earning a win in the final league game of the season, and then earning an extra time win against CR Bélouizdad to reach the Coupe d'Algérie final.

May 2026

A good month overall, however Paradou AC once again proving to be a bit of a bogey team as we once again failed to beat them.  Every other match of the month was a win though, with some good performances to go with it.

Although we did well, we weren't quite able to loosen CR Bélouizdad's stranglehold on the title, as their two wins over us ultimately decided the title race.

However, some good news as the 2nd place finish actually secures us a spot in the CAF Champions League:


However, I don't think we'll be anywhere near winning it.  I suspect I'll need to move to either South Africa or Egypt to fulfil that aim, however I do intend to see out next season unless I get offered something I can't refuse.

At the end of the season, I passed my National A licence and asked the board about the next badge.

Thankfully, they agreed the request which is going to help me going forwards.

Anyway, onto the small matter of the Coupe d'Algérie final.........


A deserved win in a match we never looked like losing.  MC Alger getting a player sent off made things a little more comfortable, although we were already 2-0 up at this point and we were not looking like we were going to throw it away.



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