Lakhdar Belloumi


Lakhdar Belloumi is an Algerian former football player and manager. A former attacking midfielder, he is widely considered the best Algerian player of all time and one of the best players in Africa. He is said to have invented the "Blind Pass". He was named the fourth-best African player of the century by IFFHS. He held the record as the most capped Algerian player with 100 national caps and is also the third best goalscorer of the Algerian national team in all time with 28 goals.
Belloumi's goal against reigning European champions West Germany earned Algeria a stunning 2–1 victory in their World Cup debut in Spain '82.

Club career

Belloumi spent almost his entire career at home, 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".
Often overlooked for international recognition due to not joining a major European club, despite the interest of major European clubs. 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.
He participated at 1980 Summer Olympics, at two editions of FIFA World Cup, at four editions of Africa Cup of Nations and at two editions of Mediterranean Games.
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.

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.
Seven months before the 1982 World Cup, it was reported in European newspapers that Belloumi had died from a heart attack. After a few days, it turned out that it was his team-mate Hocine Benmiloudi who died.

Career statistics

International

Lakhdar Belloumi scored 28 goals in 100 capes with the national team. He scored too six more goals with 47 more caps that are not recognized by FIFA because matches played and goals scored against clubs or against not a full national teams. He scored against Bałtyk Gdynia in 1979, Stade Brestois and Olympique Lyonnais in 1982, Racing Paris in 1983, FC Carl Zeiss Jena in 1984 and Videoton FC in 1987.
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
117 October 1978Stade du 17 Juin, Constantine, Algeria1–03–0Friendly
25 April 1979Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers, Algeria1–01–0[Football at the 1980 Summer Olympics – African Qualifiers|1980 Football at the Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics qualification]
324 June 1979Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers, Algeria1–03–11980 African Cup of Nations qualification
427 September 1979Stadion Rade Končar, Šibenik, Yugoslavia1–02–31979 Mediterranean Games
529 September 1979Stadion Poljud, Split, Yugoslavia1–02–11979 Mediterranean Games
621 December 1979Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers, Algeria1–03–01980 Summer Olympics qualification
713 March 1980Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, Nigeria1–01–01980 African Cup of Nations
816 March 1980Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, Nigeria2–03–21980 African Cup of Nations
920 July 1980Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Soviet Union1–03–01980 Summer Olympics
1024 July 1980Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Soviet Union1–11–11980 Summer Olympics
111 May 1981Stade du 17 Juin, Constantine, Algeria2–04–01982 FIFA World Cup qualification
121 May 1981Stade du 17 Juin, Constantine, Algeria4–04–0[1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)|1982 FIFA FIFA World Cup|World Cup qualification]
1330 August 1981Stade du 19 Juin, Oran, Algeria3–07–01982 African Cup of Nations qualification
1430 August 1981Stade du 19 Juin, Oran, Algeria4–07–01982 African Cup of Nations qualification
1510 October 1981Surulere Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria1–02–01982 FIFA World Cup qualification
1630 October 1981Stade du 17 Juin, Constantine, Algeria1–02–11982 FIFA World Cup qualification
1711 February 1982El Molinón, Gijón, Spainfb|RFAfb|TUNfb|LBY|1977fb|MWIfb|EGYfb|RDAfb|MTN|1959fb|CIVfb|TUNfb|CIVfb|MAR

Honours

Player

;GC Mascara
;MC Oran
Algeria'''

Individual

;Awards
;Performances

Personal life

Belloumi's son, Mohamed El Bachir, is also a professional footballer.