Islam Slimani

Islam Slimani

Slimani with Algeria in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth18 June 1988
Place of birthAlgiers, Algeria
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Sporting CP
Number9
Youth career
2007–2008WB Aïn Benian
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2008–2009JSM Chéraga22(18)
2009–2013CR Belouizdad96(32)
2013–Sporting CP45(19)
National team‡
2012–Algeria36(14)
2013Algeria A'1(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:00, April 19, 2015 (EST).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:00, April 19, 2015 (EST)

Islam Slimani (born 18 June 1988) is an Algerian footballer who plays as a striker for Sporting Clube de Portugal and the Algeria national team.

An Algerian international, Slimani made his international debut in 2012. He played at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he was Algeria's joint top scorer with two goals. As of 19 January 2015, he has won 29 international caps and scored 14 goals.

Early life & career

Slimani grew up in the western Algiers suburb of Aïn Bénian. It was here that his football career began as a teenage amateur, playing for local fifth tier side WB Ain Bénian. He was then signed by third division JSM Chéraga in 2008, where he spent several months in the youth team before eventually making his debut for the first team. Slimani finished his debut season at JSM with 18 goals.[1]

Club career

In May 2009, Slimani joined CR Belouizdad from JSM Chéraga for a transfer fee of 800,000 Algerian dinars,[1] signing a two year contract.[2] In August, he made his official debut for the club as a starter against MC Oran in the first week of the 2009–10 Algerian Championnat National.[3] He finished his first season with Belouizdad with 8 goals in 30 games.

On 17 May 2011, Slimani scored four goals in a league game against JS Kabylie, leading CR Belouizdad to an impressive 7-1 win.[4] In July 2011, with his contract expired and several French clubs such as Nice and Le Havre showing interest in signing him, Slimani decided to sign a two year extension with CR Belouizdad.[5]

On 6 August 2013 Slimani joined Sporting Clube de Portugal.[1] Slimani started the 2013–14 season as a substitute, gaining a reputation as an impact player due to him scoring vital goals when coming off the bench.[1] However, due to the lack of form of Fredy Montero, he became a starter and scored 4 goals in 4 matches in early March 2014 against Rio Ave, SC Braga, Vitória de Setubal and in 1-0 over Porto in the Dragões vs Leões.[1] In December 2013 he was considered the best Algerian footballer of the year as he won the Algerian Golden Ball.[6]

International career

In October 2009, Slimani was called up by Abdelhak Benchikha for the first time to the Algerian A' National Team for a week-long training camp in Algiers.[7] In March 2010, Slimani was called up again, this time for a 2011 African Nations Championship qualifier against Libya as a replacement for his injured CR Belouizdad teammate Youcef Saïbi.[8] However, Slimani did not play in the game as Algeria won 1–0.[9]

In May 2012, Slimani was called up for the first time to the Algeria national team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mali and Rwanda, and the return leg of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Gambia.[10] On May 26, he made his debut, coming as a substitute at half-time in a friendly against Niger.[1] A week later, on 2 June, Slimani scored his first international goal for Algeria, netting the third goal in the 4–0 win over Rwanda in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[11] He followed that up with another goal against Mali in the next game,[12] and then scored another two goals in the following against Gambia.[13]

Slimani was selected for Algeria's squad taking part in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, and played in all three group games in January.[14] Algeria, however, only won one point and were eliminated at the first stage.[15]

Algeria qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and manager Vahid Halilhodzic selected Slimani for their 23 man squad.[16] On 22 June 2014, Slimani scored a the opening goal for les Fennecs in a 4–2 2014 FIFA World Cup group match against South Korea. He also made an assist for the team's third goal by passing the ball to Abdelmoumene Djabou.[17] On 26 June 2014, Slimani scored with a header in Algeria's 1–1 draw with Russia, helping the nation qualify for the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup for the first time ever after failing to do so previously in 1982, 1986 and 2010.[18] In the last-16 match against Germany, Slimani had a headed goal disallowed in the first half for offside, whilst later on his powerful shot at goal was saved by German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.[19] Algeria eventually lost 2–1 after extra time, but were praised for an excellent campaign throughout the tournament.[19]

In Algeria's opening match of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Slimani scored the final goal in a 3–1 victory over South Africa.[20]


International goals

National Team

Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first. "Score" column indicates the score after the player's goal.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 2 June 2012 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria  Rwanda 3–0[11] 4–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2. 10 June 2012 Stade du 4-Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso  Mali 1–0[12] 1–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3. 15 June 2012 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria  Gambia 2–0[13] 4–1 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
4. 3–1[13]
5. 14 October 2012 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria  Libya 2–0[21] 2–0 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
6. 26 March 2013 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria  Benin 3–1[22] 3–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7. 2 June 2013 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria  Burkina Faso 2–0[23] 2–0 Friendly
8. 9 June 2013 Stade Charles de Gaulle, Porto-Novo, Benin  Benin 1–1[24] 3–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
9. 2–1[24]
10. 31 May 2014 Stade Tourbillon, Sion, Switzerland  Armenia 3–0[25] 3–1 Friendly
11. 22 June 2014 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil  South Korea 1–0[17] 4–2 2014 FIFA World Cup
12. 26 June 2014 Arena da Baixada, Curitiba, Brazil  Russia 1–1[18] 1–1 2014 FIFA World Cup
13. 15 October 2014 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria  Malawi 3–0 3–0 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
14. 19 January 2015 Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea  South Africa 3–1 3–1 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

'A' National Team

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 25 May 2013 Stade Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria  Mauritania 1–0[26] 1–0 Friendly

Honours

Individual

DZFoot d'Or

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Hassani, Kamal (31 May 2014). "World Cup 2014: Algeria profile – Islam Slimani". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  2. ↑ KY (May 17, 2009). "Finale de la coupe d’Algérie : le CR Belouizdad à pied d’œuvre" (in French). El Watan. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Division 1 1e j MCO 4-1 CRB". DZFoot. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ Ligue 1 : écrasante et historique victoire du CR Belouizdad sur la JS Kabylie (7-1)
  5. ↑ "Islam Slimani prolonge au CR Belouizdad" (in French). DZFoot. July 13, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Islam Slimani wins Algerian Player of the Year". Leões/Lions: An English language blog for Sporting Clube de Portugal. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  7. ↑ EN A' : Nouveau stage pour les joueurs locaux
  8. ↑ EN A' : L'Algérie A' prépare le match face à la Libye
  9. ↑ Algérie A' 1-0 Libye A'
  10. ↑ "La liste des 29 pour les matchs de la fin de saison" (in French). DZFoot. May 12, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Algeria 4-0 Rwanda". goal.com. June 3, 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Mali vs. Algeria - 10 June 201". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Algeria 4 - 1 Gambia Match report". Goal.com. 13 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Algeria - I. Slimani - Profile". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "African Cup of Nations: Ivory Coast draw 2-2 with Algeria". Sky Sports. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  16. ↑ "Algeria squad for 2014 World Cup: the 23 chosen by Vahid Halilhodzic". The Guardian. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "South Korea 2-4 Algeria". BBC. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Algeria 1-1 Russia". BBC. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Omstein, David (1 July 2014). "Germany 2 - 1 Alegria (after extra time)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  20. ↑ "Algeria 3-1 South Africa". BBC. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  21. ↑ "Algeria vs. Libya - 14 October 2012". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  22. ↑ "Algeria vs. Benin - 26 March 2013". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "Algeria vs. Burkina Faso - 2 June 2013". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Benin vs. Algeria - 9 June 2013". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  25. ↑ "Algeria vs. Armenia - 31 May 2014". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  26. ↑ "Algeria vs. Mauritania - 25 May 2013". soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2014.

External links