Lakhdar Belloumi

Lakhdar Belloumi (Arabic: لخضر بلومي‎; born in 29 December 1958) is an Algerian former football player and manager. He is widely considered as the best Algerian player of all time and one of the best players in Africa. He is said to have invented the "Blind Pass".[2] He is awarded the 4th best African player of the century.[3] He holds the record as the most capped Algerian player with 100 national caps[1] (147 caps not recognized by FIFA)[4] and is also the third best goalscorer of the Algerian national team in all time with 28 goals[5] (34 goals not recognized by FIFA).[6]

Lakhdar Belloumi
Lakhdar Belloumi in 2017
Personal information
Full name Lakhdar Belloumi
Date of birth (1958-12-29) 29 December 1958
Place of birth Mascara, Algeria
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1973–1974 OS Mascara
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974–1976 OS Mascara – (–)
1976–1977 SKAF El-Khemis – (–)
1977–1978 GCB Mascara 26 (29)
1978–1979 MP Oran 25 (11)
1979–1981 MP Alger 30 (10)
1981–1987 GCR Mascara 60 (27)
1987–1988 Mouloudia d'Oran 56 (36)
1988 Al-Arabi SC 6 (5)
1989–1990 M. Oran / MC Oran 27 (12)
1990–1991 GC Mascara 4 (4)
1991–1992 USM Bel Abbès 40 (20)
1992–1993 GC Mascara 12 (7)
1993–1994 MC Oran 27 (6)
1994–1996 GC Mascara 38 (19)
1996 MC Oran 11 (2)
1997 GC Mascara 13 (3)
1997–1998 ASM Oran 17 (9)
1998–1999 GC Mascara 25 (4)
Total 417 (204)
National team
1974–1977 Algeria U17 – (–)
1977–1978 Algeria U20 4 (2)
1979–1980 Algeria military – (–)
1978–1989 Algeria 100[1] (28)
1989 Algeria futsal 3 (1)
Teams managed
2001–2002 MC Oran
2002–2003 USM Bel-Abbès
2003 Al Tadamun SC
2004–2005 Algeria
2005–2006 GC Mascara
2011 Algeria (beach soccer)
2015 Algeria (beach soccer)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Belloumi's goal against reigning European champions West Germany earned Algeria a stunning 2–1 victory in their World Cup debut in Spain '82.[7]

Club career
Lakhdar Belloumi, Algerian champion with GC Mascara 1984

Belloumi spent almost his entire career at home (apart from a brief spell in Qatar late in his career), most notably with his hometown club GC Mascara, as well as MC Oran. He played also with MC Alger for two years during his military service in Algiers. He won two domestic championships during his career in 1984 with GC Mascara and in 1988 with MC Oran. After returning for another spell in Mascara in 1994, he continued playing until retirement in 1999.

Belloumi had contact with various European clubs, including Barcelona, before Spain '82, but "the law did not allow us to leave the country before the age of 27". In 1985, he caught the eye of Juventus after shining in a friendly against them, only to miss out on a dream transfer after breaking his leg in the African Champions' Cup in Libya against Al-Ittihad. He was understandably disappointed "It was a real shame for me that I couldn't go".[7]

Often overlooked for international recognition due to not joining a major European club, despite the interest of major European clubs (Juventus were reportedly very keen to acquire his services despite the performances of Michel Platini). Belloumi was recognised by any who watched him play, including the great Pelé, as a fantastic player.

International career

Belloumi has a total of 147 caps and 34 goals for Algeria national team but only 100 caps and 28 goals are recognized by FIFA.[4][6] He participated at 1980 Summer Olympics, at two editions of FIFA World Cup (1982 and 1986), at four editions of Africa Cup of Nations (1980, 1982, 1984 and 1988) and at two editions of Mediterranean Games (1979 and 1983). In 1981, he was awarded African Footballer of the Year. Belloumi scored the winning goal in the 2–1 win over West Germany in the 1982 World Cup, and was a pivotal player in the Algerian national team throughout the 1980s. His last game for Algeria came in 1989.

Career statistics

Clubs
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague CapsGoals CapsGoals CapsGoals CapsGoals CapsGoals
Algeria League Algerian Cup League Cup Africa Total
1974–75OS MascaraDivision H--
1975–76--
1976–77SKAF El-KhemisDivision 2--
1977–78GCB Mascara--
1978–79MP OranDivision 12511--
1979–80MP Alger10400-44 159
1980–819320-10 123
1981–82GCR Mascara31--
1982–83+15+3--
1983–84?1--
1984–85?1-20
1985–86?0--
1986–87+30811-- +309
1987–88Mouloudia d'Oran+3042-- +35
Qatar League Qatar Emir Cup Qatari Super Cup Asia Total
1988Al-ArabiQatar Stars League22--
Algeria League Algerian Cup League Cup Africa Total
1988–89Mouloudia d'OranDivision 1?2-20
1989–90MC Oran?6--61 7
1990–91GC MascaraDivision 2--
1991–92USM Bel-AbbèsDivision 1?1
1992–93GC MascaraDivision 2---
1993–94MC OranDivision 1?1-
1994–95GC Mascara--
1995–96Division 2--
1996MC OranDivision 111200-- 112
1997GC MascaraDivision 2133?1-- 4
1997–98ASM Oran179-
1998–99GC MascaraDivision 1255?0-- 5
Total Algeria
Qatar 22
Career total

African competition
Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first. "Score" column indicates the score after the player's goal.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.26 April 1980Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers Dragons de l'Ouémé
2–0
3–0
1980 African Cup of Champions Clubs
2.24 May 1980Stade Robert Champroux, Abidjan Stella Adjamé
4–2
4–2
1980 African Cup of Champions Clubs
3.7 June 1980Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers Stella Adjamé
1–0
3–1
1980 African Cup of Champions Clubs
4.
3–1
5.22 September 1989Stade Habib Bouakeul, Oran Al-Mourada
1–0
4–0
1989 African Cup of Champions Clubs
6.6 May 1994Stade Akid Lotfi, Tlemcen AS Tempête Mocaf
3–0
7–4
1994 African Cup of Champions Clubs

National team statistics

Lakhdar Belloumi at National-Football-Teams.com

Algeria national team
YearAppsGoals
197841
1979115
1980114
198196
1982102
1983102
1984103
198531
198661
1987101
198872
198990
Total10028

International goals
Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first. "Score" column indicates the score after the player's goal.[8]

International goals (vs clubs)

Honours

Clubs
GC Mascara
MC Oran

International

Individual
Awards
Performances

Controversy

Belloumi was a subject of an arrest warrant in Egypt for almost 20 years following an incident in Cairo in 1989 when after a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match a brawl erupted to the hostel residence of the Algeria team, between players of the Algerian squad and Egyptian supporters that left an Egyptian fan, doctor by profession, seriously injured in his eye by a broken bottle which was attributed to be thrown by Belloumi. From 2006, he was added among the lists of the accused in Interpol.

The Algerian authorities accused Egypt of wanting deliberately to accuse Belloumi who was the biggest star of the country, to make diversion against hostile events that Algeria team has suffered during the qualifying match in Cairo. Belloumi always claimed his innocence and teammates present at the incident had also testified before the Algerian justice that it was goalkeeper Kamel Kadri responsible for inflicting the injury.

The warrant was finally rescinded in April 2009 and Belloumi was cleared of all legal proceedings at the initiative of Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in collaboration of the Algerian and Egyptian authorities.[9][10][11]

Further reading
  • Grine, Hamid. (1986) Lakhdar Belloumi, un footballeur algérien, Algiers, Entreprise Nationale du Livre (Enal).

References
  1. Lakhdar Belloumi - Century of International Appearances
  2. "Les chroniques de Laurent Lasne – ''letierslivre.com''" (in French). Letierslivre.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
  3. Ingo Faulhaber. "Africa's best Player of the Century – IFFHS". Iffhs.de.
  4. "Football - Lakhdar Belloumi". Le Soir d'Algérie. H. B. 11 April 2011.
  5. Goalscoring for Algeria National Team
  6. "Top 10 - Les légendes de l'Algérie". TF1. Rédaction. 15 January 2013.
  7. Hart, Simon (13 June 2010). "Algeria struggle to match the fame of Belloumi and the shame of Spain '82 – International – Football". The Independent.
  8. "Lakhdar Belloumi - Century of International Appearances". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  9. "Belloumi to Echorouk: "Goalkeeper Kadri was responsible for eye injury suffered by Egyptian doctor in 1989"". Echoroukonline.com. 3 September 2012.
  10. "Interpol hands over Belloumi a document rescinding international arrest warrant issued against him". Echoroukonline.com. 3 September 2012.
  11. "Belloumi called for the first time to the victim". Lebuteur.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
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