Rabah Madjer

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Rabah Madjer
Personal information
Date of birth February 15, 1958 (1958-02-15) (age 50)
Place of birth    Flag of Algeria Hussein Dey, Algeria
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+12 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Retired
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1975–1983
1983–1985
1985–1986
1986-1988
1988-1988
1988-1991
1991-1992
NA Hussein Dey
RC Paris
Tours FC
FC Porto
Valencia CF
FC Porto
Qatar SC
 ? (?)
? (?)
? (?)
50 (29)
14 (4)
58 (21)
0 (0)   
National team2
1978–1992 Flag of Algeria Algeria 87 (40)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of April 6, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 23 June 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Rabah Madjer (Arabic: رابح ماجر‎) (born February 15, 1958 in Hussein Dey) is a former Algerian footballer, who played as a striker. He reached stardom as a FC Porto player during the 1980s, and is considered the greatest Algerian football player of all time.

Madjer played for the Algerian national team for 14 years, from 1978 to 1992, and was present at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup finals. He's still the top scorer of the national team, with 40 goals in 87 games. His most famous goal came in Algeria's 2-1 win over Germany in the 1982 World Cup, when he opened the scoring in the 53rd minute.

He started his European career in 1983, playing for RCF Paris, for one and a half seasons, then for half a season with Tours FC. He arrived at FC Porto in 1985/86, and the next season, scored the equalizer with a back-heel to help give Porto the 1986-87 European Cup title over Bayern Munich in one of the most memorable finals. Pele is believed to have said of this goal "It would have been the greatest goal I have ever seen, if he had not looked back at it." He also scored and won the Intercontinental Cup, the same year, and the title of National Champion for 1987/88. He moved to Valencia C.F. that year, lasting only a few months, and returned to F.C. Porto until his retirement in 1990/91.

After retiring, Madjer started his football managerial career. He coached the Algerian national team, FC Porto's reserves, and Qatar clubs Al Saad, Al Wakrah, and Al Rayyan. He was also the coach of an African all-star selection to play against a team of the "rest of the world".[citation needed]

He started a career as a commentator in Qatar, for the local channel Al-Jazeera Sports.

Awards
Preceded by
Flag of Morocco Badou Zaki
African Footballer of the Year
1987
Succeeded by
Flag of Zambia Kalusha Bwalya
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Flag of Algeria Meziane Ighil
Algeria Men's National Team Coach
April 1994 – May 1995
Succeeded by
Flag of Algeria Ali Fergani
Flag of Algeria Mourad Abdelouahab
Preceded by
Flag of Algeria Charif Ait Mohamed Boualem
Algeria Men's National Team Coach
July 1999 – December 1999
Succeeded by
Flag of Algeria Nasser Sandjak
Preceded by
Flag of Algeria Hamid Zouba
Flag of Algeria Abdelhamid Kermali
Flag of Algeria Aït Djoudi
Algeria Men's National Team Coach
July 2001 – May 2002
Succeeded by
Flag of Algeria Hamid Zouba

[edit] See also