| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lakhdar Belloumi | ||
| Date of birth | December 29, 1958 | ||
| Place of birth | Mascara, Algeria | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Retired | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1970–1971 | O. SEMPAC Mascara | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1976–1977 | GC Mascara | ||
| 1977–1979 | MC Oran | ||
| 1979–1981 | MC Alger | ||
| 1981–1986 | GC Mascara | ||
| 1986–1988 | MC Oran | ||
| 1988–1989 | Al-Arabi SC | 12 | (4) |
| 1989–1990 | MC Oran | ||
| 1990–1993 | GC Mascara | ||
| 1993–1994 | MC Oran | ||
| 1994–1999 | GC Mascara | ||
| National team | |||
| 1977–1978 | Algeria U20 | ||
| 1978–1989 | Algeria | 147 | (34) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2001–2002 | MC Oran | ||
| 2002–2003 | USM Bel-Abbès | ||
| 2003 | Umm-Salal SC | ||
| 2004–2005 | Algeria | ||
| 2005–2006 | GC Mascara | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Lakhdar Belloumi (Arabic: لخضر بلومي) (born December 29, 1958 in Mascara, Algeria) 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 and the world. He is said to have invented the Blind Pass [1]. He is awarded the 4th best African player of the century.[2]
Belloumi's goal against reigning European champions West Germany earned Algeria a stunning 2-1 victory in their World Cup debut in Spain '82.[3]
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He participated at 1980 Summer Olympics and at two edition of FIFA World Cup, in 1982 and 1986. For Algeria national football team he got 147 caps (FIFA recognize only 89 caps) and scored 34 goals. In 1981, he was awarded African Footballer of the Year. Belloumi scored the winning goal in the 2-1 win over West Germany in 1982, and was a pivotal player in the Algerian national team throughout the 1980s. His last game for Algeria came in 1989.
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".[4]
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 Pele, as a fantastic player. He was not out of place as an international playmaker during the era in which Diego Maradona and Michel Platini both played, having starred for the great Algerian side of the 1982 World Cup.
Belloumi was a subject of an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol for almost 20 years following an incident in Cairo in 1989 when after a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match a brawl erupted between players of the Algerian squad and Egyptian supporters that left an Egyptian doctor seriously injured in his eye by a broken bottle which was attributed to be thrown by Belloumi. 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.[5][6]
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