The history of Union Sportive Médina d'Alger between 1962 and 2010, commonly referred to as USM Alger or simply USMA, is an Algerian professional association football club based in Algiers, whose first team play in the highest tier of Algerian football, the Ligue 1. Established on 5 July 1937. The club won its first major trophy in 1963, defeating MC Alger in the Critérium d'Honneur final. USMA has reached the cup final 17 times a national record, including an impressive run of five consecutive appearances from 1969 to 1973.

They have won the cup eight times, with the first win coming in 1981 against ASM Oran, and the most recent in 2013, once again defeating MC Alger. In terms of the Algerian Super Cup, USMA has lifted the trophy twice. USM Alger has also experienced relegation in its history. The first drop to the second division occurred from 1965 to 1969, with the longest spell in the lower tier lasting from 1990 to 1995.

After independence Algeria's First Champion Following Algeria's independence in 1962, national football competitions were reorganized under the guidance of the Ministry of Sports and Youth. Due to the geographical spread of clubs based on the former French colonial departments each regional league operated autonomously. Competitions were structured as regional championships, with departmental champions qualifying for national playoffs to determine the Algerian champion.

In the inaugural 1962–63 season, USM Alger made history by becoming the first champions of independent Algeria. The club appointed Abdelaziz Ben Tifour, a former player for Nice and Monaco, as both coach and player. The squad notably included Freddy Zemmour, a Pied-Noir and one of the few French players who chose to remain in Algeria after independence.

USM Alger competed in Group V, finishing top with 51 points and registering the strongest attack across all groups with 75 goals. In the Algiers League, they were grouped with MC Alger, AS Orléansville, NA Hussein Dey and OM Saint Eugène, and again finished first with a perfect record of 12 points from 12. In the semi-final, they defeated Hamra Annaba (then known as USM Annaba) to reach the national final.

In the championship final, USM Alger once again faced MC Alger. The "Red and Black," led by player-coach Ben Tifour, triumphed 3–0 in a match played at the Stade d'El Annasser, in the presence of President Ahmed Ben Bella and Minister of Defense Houari Boumedienne. With this victory, USM Alger became the first club to win the Algerian football championship in the post independence era.

Early Domestic Campaigns (1963–1969) In the 1962–63 Algerian Cup, USM Alger reached the semi-finals but were eliminated by ES Sétif. During the 1963–64 season, USMA finished third in the Algiers group, one point behind NA Hussein Dey, who won the group. In the cup, the team again reached the semi-finals but was defeated by ES Sétif. The 1964–65 season saw USMA relegated to the second division after finishing in last place. They were eliminated in the second round of the Algerian Cup by NA Hussein Dey. In the 1965–66 Division Honneur, USM Alger finished second behind MC Alger, and both clubs were promoted to the newly formed Nationale II.

In the 1966–67 Nationale II, USMA finished fifth, failing to secure promotion to the top flight. Abderrahmane Meziani was the club's top scorer with 8 goals. In the Algerian Cup, the team once again fell to ES Sétif in the semi-finals, marking the third such elimination by the same opponent. During the 1967–68 season, USMA once again missed out on promotion, finishing fifth, four points behind JS Djijel, who were promoted. Meziani was again the club's top scorer. In the 1968–69 season, USM Alger finally earned promotion to Nationale I, finishing second behind JS Kabylie. That same season, the club reached its first Algerian Cup final, but was defeated by CR Belcourt, 3–5 in a replay match after a draw in the initial final.

Five Finals, No Glory: USM Alger's Heartbreaking Era

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, USM Alger became a dominant force in Algerian football, reaching the Algerian Cup final seven times, including a remarkable streak of five consecutive finals from 1969 to 1973. Prior to that, the team had been eliminated three times in the semi-finals, all by the same opponent ES Sétif.

1969 Final – vs CR Belcourt USM Alger reached their first ever Algerian Cup final in 1969, after tightly contested victories in the quarter-finals and semi-finals against RC Kouba and NA Hussein Dey, respectively both wins secured by a single goal. In the final, they faced CR Belcourt, the reigning Algerian champions. The match ended in a 5–3 defeat for USMA after a replay. The final is notable for featuring the first hat-trick in an Algerian Cup final, scored by Hacène Lalmas. Despite the loss, USM Alger qualified as cup runners-up for the Maghreb Cup Winners Cup held in Morocco, reaching the final before losing to RS Settat, the Coupe du Trône champions.

1970 Final – vs CR Belcourt USM Alger returned to the final the following year, once again facing CR Belcourt. The first match ended in a draw and required a replay, in which USMA suffered a heavy 4–1 defeat. Still, USMA participated once more in the Maghreb Cup Winners Cup as Algerian Cup runners-up but finished last, losing to Club Africain and Wydad Casablanca.

1971 Final – vs MC Alger In 1971, USM Alger reached the final after a grueling campaign that included home-and-away quarter-finals and semi-finals. In the semis, they faced USM Khenchela in a highly charged match. Tensions arose due to a misinterpreted chant by USMA fans, labeling Khenchela as "Shawiya", which was seen as derogatory. The match was disrupted multiple times by crowd invasions and lasted four hours. USMA players had to remain in the dressing room until midnight under the protection of a Gendarmerie brigade from Batna, finally returning to Algiers at 9 AM the next day. Both clubs were later sanctioned by the Algerian Football Federation and forced to play their matches at least 50 kilometers away from their home stadiums for a year. As a result, USM Alger hosted their 1971–72 home matches at Stade des Frères Brakni in Blida..

USM Alger reached its third consecutive Algerian Cup final, facing MC Alger in the first Algiers Derby final between the two rivals. Despite fielding an experienced team, USMA fell behind early through Omar Betrouni before Zoubir Bachi added a second goal before halftime. Although USMA controlled much of the second half and created several chances, they were unable to score, losing 2–0 and suffering a third straight defeat in the competition's final.

1972 Final – vs Hamra Annaba The 1972 cup run was also difficult, with three of four matches won by a single goal margin. The final took place at the newly inaugurated Stade du 5 Juillet, opened by President Houari Boumédiène. USM Alger faced USM Annaba and suffered their fourth straight final defeat. Interestingly, prior to the senior final, the youth team of USMA beat RC Kouba in the youth final, with Nacer Guedioura scoring the first-ever goal at the new stadium. Notably, USMA was deprived of Kamel Tchalabi, who had played in a military competition final. Despite promises that he could participate if he only played one half and scored, he was ultimately barred from playing in the Cup final.

1973 Final – vs MC Alger In their fifth consecutive final, USM Alger once again faced MC Alger, but were defeated for the fifth time in a row. This era, despite the lack of trophies, remains one of the most consistent and competitive periods in the club's history, underscoring their importance in Algerian football during that time.

First professional era (1977–1989) USM Alger in the Era of Reforms and the First Cup Triumph

During this period, the club experienced a decline in performance in Division 1. The best league result was a fourth-place finish in the 1975–76 season. However, this season also witnessed the biggest victory in Algerian League history, when USM Alger defeated ASM Oran 11–0 at Stade du 5 Juillet, with Djamel Zidane scoring five goals. The 1970s were marked by instability at the managerial level, with multiple changes involving coaches such as Ahmed Zitoun, Abdelghani Zitouni, Hamid Belamine, and Ahmed Arab each managing the team over two different periods. The club, then known as USK Alger, was relegated to the second division from 1972 to 1974.

Toward the end of 1974, a major sports reform initiated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports sought to provide elite clubs with a solid financial foundation, promoting a professional structure under the system known as Association Sportive de Performances (ASP). As part of this reform, many clubs changed their names based on their state sponsors. For instance, Sonatrach sponsored clubs included MP Alger (MC Alger), MP Oran (MC Oran), and EP Sétif (ES Sétif). In line with this reform, during the 1977–78 season, USK Alger was renamed Union sportive kahraba d'Alger () meaning electricity, under the sponsorship of Sonelgaz (Société nationale de l'électricité et du gaz).

After suffering seven defeats in Algerian Cup finals, El Kahraba finally won their first Cup title in the 1980–81 season, defeating ASM Oran coached by Ali Benfadah at the newly built Stade 24 Fevrier 1956. This victory made them the first club to win the Algerian Cup while playing in the second division. Some officials and supporters of USM Alger believe that the team's previous final losses were politically influenced, blaming President Houari Boumédiène for his antagonism toward former President Ahmed Ben Bella a well known supporter of USM Alger. They note that the Cup victory came only after Boumédiène's death.

Following promotion back to the top flight, USM Alger played in the inaugural Super Cup at Stade du 20 Août 1955, losing to reigning champions RC Kouba. They finished the league season in ninth place. That same season, they made their debut in a continental competition the African Cup Winners Cup and reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Hearts of Oak. In 1987, the club changed its name again to Union d'Alger, but this was short lived. Amidst a financial and economic crisis, the Algerian government abandoned the 1977 reform in 1989, and most clubs reverted to their historical identities. USM Alger thus adopted its final and current name Union sportive de la médina d'Alger () meaning city.

Victory and Vulnerability: The Cup Win and the Crisis That Followed

On July 5, 1987, USK Alger celebrated its 50th anniversary. However, the event failed to live up to its potential as an inclusive celebration of the club's rich history. Many influential figures, from founding members like Sid Ahmed Kemmat to notable supporters like Chaabi singer Boualem Rahma, were absent. The lack of recognition for many individuals who had contributed to the club over the years left the celebration incomplete.

Despite a turbulent period, USM Alger managed to return to the first division in the 1987–88 season with a young squad, mainly composed of players from the reserve team. Under the leadership of Djamel Keddou, who was also a former captain, the team overcame their inexperience and achieved a historic victory in the Algerian Cup. They defeated CR Belcourt in a penalty shootout at Stade 5 Juillet 1962. This was the fourth final between the two clubs, and the first time USMA emerged victorious after three previous defeats.

Following the match, controversy erupted around Amar Kabrane, who was heavily criticized and accused of intentionally missing his penalty especially since he later transferred to USM Alger. With the cup win, USM Alger secured qualification for the African Cup Winners Cup for the second time. They reached the quarter-finals but chose to withdraw from the competition after a home loss to Madagascar's Football Club Banky, citing financial difficulties.