Biography
Who is Lakhdar Belloumi?
Club Career and Teams
Lakhdar Belloumi spent almost his entire club career playing in Algeria. He played above all for his hometown club GC Mascara, as well as MC Oran. During his military service in Algiers, he also played with MC Alger for two years. He secured two domestic championships during his career, winning in 1984 with GC Mascara and again in 1988 with MC Oran. After returning for another spell in Mascara in 1994, he continued playing until his retirement in 1999.
Early in his career, he had contact with various European clubs, including Barcelona. In 1985, he caught the eye of Juventus after shining in a friendly match against them. However, he missed out on a transfer after breaking his leg in the African Champions Cup in Libya against Al-Ittihad. He spent a brief spell in Qatar late in his career, but mostly remained at home.
International Career and World Cup
Lakhdar Belloumi had a long and well-known career with the Algeria national team. Official records recognize 100 caps and 28 goals for him, though he participated in 147 matches with 34 total goals according to broader records. He famously scored the winning goal in a stunning 2 to 1 victory over reigning European champions West Germany during the 1982 World Cup in Spain. This goal remains one of the most celebrated moments in Algerian football history.
He participated in the 1980 Summer Olympics, two editions of the FIFA World Cup in 1982 and 1986, four editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, and two editions of the Mediterranean Games. In 1981, he received the award for African Footballer of the Year. His last game for the national team took place in 1989, marking the end of a key era for Algerian football.
Legal Controversy and Resolution
In 1989, following a World Cup qualifying match in Cairo, a brawl erupted at the hostel residence of the Algeria team between players and Egyptian supporters. An Egyptian fan was seriously injured in the eye by a broken bottle. Lakhdar Belloumi was accused of throwing the object and became the subject of an arrest warrant in Egypt for almost 20 years, and was added to Interpol lists from 2006.
Algerian authorities accused Egypt of deliberately targeting Belloumi as the country's biggest star to create a diversion. Belloumi consistently claimed his innocence, and teammates testified that goalkeeper Kamel Kadri was responsible for the injury. The warrant was finally rescinded in April 2009 after being cleared through the initiative of Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the cooperation of both authorities.
Height and Personal Life
Lakhdar Belloumi stands at a height of 178 centimeters. Beyond his own playing days, the football tradition in his family continued through his son, Bachir Belloumi, who also became a professional football player. His career excellence was later recognized with awards such as the CAF Merit Award in 2008 and being named fourth best African player of the century by IFFHS.
Birthday and age
Lakhdar Belloumi was born on December 29, 1958, which makes Lakhdar 67 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Lakhdar shares the date with 55 other famous people.
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