CS Constantine FC: Football Guide to the Smurfs of Algeria

CS Constantine, in full Club Sportif Constantinois, are a football club from Constantine in north east Algeria, founded in 1898 as Iqbal Association and nicknamed the Smurfs. They play in Ligue Professionnelle 1, the Algerian top flight, and were league champions in 1996-97 and again in 2017-18. South African readers who first met them in a Confederation Cup draw will usually see the same soccer club listed as CSC, and the green and black shirts make them easy to pick out on a highlights reel.

A fair comparison for a Lagos reader is Enugu Rangers, an old club from a proud city that seems to carry the whole place on its shoulders. The sections below cover who they are, who coaches them, where they play and what they have won. They also set out the CAF ties that brought them up against clubs from Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana. So, if you only know the name from a live score app, you should finish with enough to hold your own in any viewing centre argument.

Who Are CS Constantine, the Smurfs?

CS Constantine are Club Sportif Constantinois, one of the oldest football clubs in Algeria and a name with real weight in Algerian Ligue 1, as most fans call the top division. The club plays in green and black, and from 1977 to 1987 it went by the name Chabab Mécanique de Constantine before returning to the title its supporters use today. Constantine is famous for the bridges strung across its gorge, and it could be argued that the football club is the loudest thing in the city. So, if you see CSC on a fixture list, or hear Les Smurfs in a commentary, it is the same side.

Where Is the Latest CS Constantine News?

The latest CS Constantine news, from team announcements to transfers and changes on the bench, sits in the live news module, which refreshes as stories break. That matters more here than at most clubs. Kheireddine Madoui and the club parted ways on 20 June 2025, after the run to the Confederation Cup semi finals. So, rather than trust a coach's name printed in a paragraph, read the module for the current head coach and any staff news.

How Do You Follow CS Constantine Fixtures and Results From Africa?

Open the Cs Constantine fixtures list to follow the Smurfs across domestic competitions and CAF ties, with converted kick off times beside each match. If CSC kick off at 20:00 in Constantine, supporters in Accra can tune in at 19:00 GMT, Lagos at 20:00 WAT, Johannesburg at 21:00 SAST, and both Kampala and Nairobi at 22:00 EAT. Follow CSC's completed matches through the results module, then use the league table (log) to see how their points compare with the other Algerian clubs. For the Smurfs' title prospects, weigh that points picture against their unplayed fixtures: the championship is decided by the final standings.

Who Is in the CS Constantine Squad?

The CS Constantine squad lives in the live squad module, with each player's position, age and nationality, because those details move with every transfer window. If you searched for CS Constantine players, that list is the answer, and it is easiest to read from the goalkeepers through the defence and midfield to the forwards. The head coach sits at the top of the same module rather than in the prose, since the head coach can change at any time. And, for readers in Lagos, Kampala or Accra, the nationality column deserves a second look, because a club that plays this much CAF football is a natural next step for ambitious players from across the continent.

What Have CS Constantine Won?

CS Constantine have won the Algerian league twice, in 1996-97 and 2017-18, and finished as runners up in 1970-71 and 2022-23. The 2017-18 title matters most to the modern fan, because it opened the door to the 2018-19 Champions League run that still defines the club for many people outside Algeria. That same title took them into the 2018 Super Cup, where they finished as runners up. It could be argued that the honours list reads like a club that arrives in bursts, with a generation of players lifting the whole city at once and then leaving the next group to chase the same feeling.

The second tier tells the other half of the story. Constantine have won it six times, in 1969-70, 1976-77, 1985-86, 1993-94, 2003-04 and 2010-11, which shows how consistently the club has won at that level. Those six titles are as revealing as the two league crowns, because a club only climbs that often when its city will not accept it anywhere but the top.

From Iqbal Association to Hamlaoui: The History in Brief

CS Constantine were founded in 1898 as Iqbal Association, which places them among the oldest football clubs in Algeria. The name has changed along the way, most notably between 1977 and 1987, when the club played as Chabab Mécanique de Constantine.

Chahid Hamlaoui Stadium has been the club's home since 1976, holds about 22,968 and was known as Stade 17 Juin before it took its current name. So, when someone asks where CS Constantine play, the short answer is Hamlaoui, and the practical answer is whichever ground the fixtures module names for that match. Perhaps the nearest picture for a Nigerian reader is a big continental night in Uyo, with the crowd close enough to the pitch that the visitors feel it from the first whistle.

Why Does CS Constantine Matter to Fans in Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana?

For Nigerian readers, the link runs through the 2016 Confederation Cup, when Constantine beat Nasarawa United 4-2 on aggregate in the first round before going out 3-2 on aggregate to Misr Lel Makkasa in the second. Such ties give NPFL players continental experience and an opportunity to demonstrate their ability beyond domestic competition.

Ugandan fans will remember the 2018-19 Champions League, when Constantine beat Vipers 3-0 on aggregate in the first round. They then finished second in a group with Club Africain, TP Mazembe and Ismaily, before going out 6-3 on aggregate to Espérance de Tunis in the quarter finals. A group containing TP Mazembe is a demanding test, and coming through it put Constantine among the last eight clubs in Africa.

Ghana's connection is more recent. Nsoatreman lost 3-0 on aggregate to Constantine in the second round of the 2024-25 Confederation Cup, and the Smurfs then came second in a group with CS Sfaxien, Simba and Bravos do Maquis, which brought East African eyes onto them too. There is no direct meeting with a South African or Kenyan club on record so far. But, both countries follow the Confederation Cup closely, and any draw can change that.

CS Constantine in Africa: The CAF Timeline Year by Year

Constantine made their CAF Champions League debut in 1998, going out 2-1 on aggregate to AS Douanes of Senegal in the first round, and every campaign since has taken them further into the continent. The table below sets out each campaign with the stage reached and the aggregate scores, so you can follow the climb from that first round in 1998 to the Confederation Cup semi final in 2024-25.

Which CS Constantine Games Matter Most, and What Time Do They Kick Off?

The match I would show anyone new to the club is the 2024-25 Confederation Cup quarter final against USM Alger, which finished 2-2 on aggregate and went to Constantine 4-3 on penalties. It sent them into a semi final against RS Berkane, which ended 4-1 on aggregate to the Moroccan side, and it was the furthest the club had gone in that competition. Closer to home, the derby with MO Constantine is the fixture the city talks about longest, in the way Lagos still argues about a Rangers and Enyimba afternoon weeks later.

For a Constantine derby or a continental evening at Hamlaoui, read the fixtures module's WAT, EAT, SAST and GMT entries together before arranging your viewing. CSC's home clock matches Lagos, while Accra runs an hour behind Constantine; Johannesburg runs an hour ahead, and Nairobi and Kampala run two hours ahead. When following the Smurfs away in Africa, take your reminder time directly from the relevant zone entry and consult the results module for the combined score across both legs.