Abdelhakim Omrani

Abdelhakim Omrani
Personal information
Full nameAbdelhakim Omrani
Date of birth18 February 1991
Place of birthFreyming-Merlebach, France
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Nîmes
Number14
Youth career
1997–2002SO Merlebach
2002–2005Metz
2005–2007Nancy
2007–009Lens
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2009–2012Lens4(0)
2013Le Mans13(1)
2013–Nîmes6(0)
National team
2010France U191(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 January 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).

Abdelhakim Omrani (born 18 February 1991) is an Algerian footballer. He currently plays for Nîmes Olympique as an offensive midfielder.

Personal life

Omrani was born in Freyming-Merlebach in the Moselle department to parents of Algerian descent.[1] He comes from an athletic family, which consists of six children. The eldest, Yasmina, is a professional heptathlete. Omrani also has two younger brothers who play football. Billel, 18, plays for Marseille and is a French youth international while Nabil, 10, currently plays in the youth system of a local club in Marseille.[2]

Football career

Omrani began his career playing for Metz. He later left the club for Nancy, where he spent six years before heading north to RC Lens. Omrani received his first call up to the senior squad for the team's match against Angers on 6 March 2009. He made his professional debut in that match appearing as a substitute in the 72nd minute. The match finished 2–2 with Lens scoring their goals in the 88th minute and the 92nd minute, respectively.[3] The following week, Omrani made another substitute appearance in a 1–0 defeat to Ajaccio. In August 2011, Omrani went on trial to German club Bayern Munich.[4] However, despite impressing, the two clubs could not agree to terms and Omrani remained at Lens.[5][6] In December 2012, Omrani went on trial with Newcastle United.[7] However, he failed to impress manager Alan Pardew and returned to Lens.[8] On 14 February 2012, Lens announced that Omrani had left the club.[9]

In November 2013, Omrani signed a two-year contract with Nîmes Olympique, after Le Mans suffered a fall in the lower divisions for financial reasons.[10]

International career

After previously representing France at the under-19 level, Omrani switched his allegiance to Algeria in September 2011 after being called up to the Algerian Under-23 National Team by coach Azzedine Aït Djoudi for a four-day training camp in Sidi Moussa.[11] He was convinced to make the switch by Algerian international Antar Yahia.

References

  1. ↑ Mondial des jeunes: deux Algériens s'illustrent
  2. ↑ "Omrani, la famille en or". Le Républicain Lorrain. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  3. ↑ "Angers v. Lens Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  4. ↑ Le Lensois Omrani à Munich; L'Equipe, 14 August 2011 (French)
  5. ↑ Essai concluant pour Omrani au Bayern; MadeinLens.com, 13 August 2011 (French)
  6. ↑ Pourquoi Omrani n'a pas signé au Bayern ?; Lensois.com, 12 September 2011 (French)
  7. ↑ Transferts : Abdelhakim Omrani à l'essai à Newcastle; DZFoot, 12 January 2012.
  8. ↑ Algerian starlet “returns home” after Newcastle trial; Sportsbyte Sunderland, 16 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Toufik O. (14 February 2012). "Abdelhakim Omrani libéré par le RC Lens". DZFoot. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
  10. ↑ "Le Mans FC : Abdelhakim Omrani a signé à Nîmes" [Le Mans FC : Abdelhakim Omrani signs with Nîmes] (in French). lemainelibre.fr. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Début du stage de Sidi Moussa; Le Buteur, 12 September 2011 (French)

External links