Lakhdar Belloumi


Lakhdar Belloumi is a former Algerian 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". He is awarded the 4th best African player of the century. He holds 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 27 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 27 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.

Honours

Clubs

;GC Mascara
;MC Oran
;Awards
;Performances

Clubs

Club statistics

African competition

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.26 April 1980Stade 5 Juillet 1962, 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 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers Stella Adjamé
1–0
3–1
1980 African Cup of Champions Clubs
4.7 June 1980Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers Stella Adjamé
3–1
3–1
1980 African Cup of Champions Clubs
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

International statistics

National team statistics

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.17 October 1978Stade 17 Juin 1976, Constantine
1–0
3–0
Friendly
2.9 April 1979Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers
1–0
1–0
1980 Summer Olympics qualification
3.24 June 1979Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers
1–0
3–1
1980 African Cup of Nations qualification
4.27 September 1979Stadion Rade Končar, Šibenik
0–1
3–2
1979 Mediterranean Games
5.29 September 1979Stadion Poljud, Split
1–0
2–1
1979 Mediterranean Games
6.21 December 1979Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers
1–0
3–0
1980 Summer Olympics qualification
7.13 Marsh 1980Liberty Stadium, Ibadan
1–0
1–0
1980 African Cup of Nations
8.16 Marsh 1980Liberty Stadium, Ibadan
2–0
3–2
1980 African Cup of Nations
9.20 July 1980Dinamo Stadium, Minsk
1–0
3–0
1980 Summer Olympics
10.24 July 1980Dinamo Stadium, Minsk
1–1
1–1
1980 Summer Olympics
11.1 May 1981Stade 17 Juin 1976, Constantine
2–0
4–0
1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
12.1 May 1981Stade 17 Juin 1976, Constantine
4–0
4–0
1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
13.30 August 1981Stade 19 June 1965, Oran
3–0
7–0
1982 African Cup of Nations qualification
14.30 August 1981Stade 19 June 1965, Oran
4–0
7–0
1982 African Cup of Nations qualification
15.10 October 1981Surulere Stadium, Lagos
0–1
0–2
1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
16.30 October 1981Stade 17 Juin 1976, Constantine
1–0
2–1
1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
17.16 June 1982El Molinón, Gijón
1–2
1–2
1982 FIFA World Cup
18.11 September 1983Stade El Abdi, El Jadida
1–2
2–3
1983 Mediterranean Games
19.28 October 1983Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers
1–0
2–0
1984 Summer Olympics qualification
20.5 Marsh 1984Stade Bouaké, Bouaké
2–0
3–0
1984 African Cup of Nations
21.17 Marsh 1984Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan
2–0
3–1
1984 African Cup of Nations
22.10 October 1984Otto-Grotewohl-Stadion, Aue
5–2
5–2
Friendly
23.8 Marsh 1985Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers
1–0
4–0
1986 African Cup of Nations qualification
24.14 December 1986Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers
1–0
2–1
Friendly
25.11 January 1987Stade El Menzah, Tunis
0–1
0–2
1987 All-Africa Games qualification
26.13 Marsh 1988Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca
0–1
1–1
1988 African Cup of Nations
27.26 Marsh 1988Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca
1–1
1–1
1988 African Cup of Nations

International goals (not counted)

International goals (vs clubs)

News

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.