Rafik Halliche facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rafik Halliche

Halliche with Algeria in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Rafik Halliche
Date of birth	(1986-09-02) 2 September 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Algiers, Algeria
Height	1.87 m
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
1993–2000	CREPS Ben Aknoun
2000–2005	NA Hussein Dey
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2008	NA Hussein Dey	45	(1)
2008–2010	Benfica	0	(0)
2008–2010	→ Nacional (loan)	34	(0)
2010–2012	Fulham	1	(0)
2012–2014	Académica	29	(0)
2014–2017	Qatar SC	43	(5)
2017–2018	Estoril	23	(2)
2018–2020	Moreirense	31	(1)
National team‡
2006–2008	Algeria U23	6	(0)
2008–2019	Algeria	41	(3)
Honours Men's football Representing  Algeria Africa Cup of Nations Winner 2019 Egypt
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 July 2022. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:55, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

Rafik Halliche (born on September 2, 1986) is a former professional footballer from Algeria. He played as a central defender, which is a player who helps protect the goal.

He started his career in 2005 with Hussein Dey in Algeria. Most of his playing time was spent in Portugal. He also played for teams in England, like Fulham, and in Qatar.

Rafik Halliche was also a key player for the Algerian national team from 2008 to 2019. He played in two World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He even helped Algeria win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019!

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Journey

Rafik Halliche was born in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria. He began playing football when he was just seven years old at a club called CREPS Ben Aknoun.

After seven years there, he joined the junior teams of NA Hussein Dey. He made his first appearance as a senior player on January 30, 2006. He came into the game as a substitute in the 74th minute.

Playing in Portugal: Nacional

In January 2008, several French clubs were interested in Halliche. But on January 30, he signed a four-year contract with a big Portuguese club, S.L. Benfica.

Benfica immediately loaned him to another team in Portugal's top league, C.D. Nacional. This meant he would play for Nacional for the rest of the season.

On March 30, 2008, Halliche played his first game for Nacional. He came on at half-time in a 2–0 win. He played two more games as a starter before returning to Benfica. His loan to Nacional was then extended for two more seasons, until 2010.

Time in England: Fulham

On August 16, 2010, news came out that Halliche might join Premier League club Fulham in England. The next week, Benfica confirmed that they had sold him. He signed a three-year contract with Fulham.

Halliche played his first official game for Fulham on January 8, 2011. It was an FA Cup match against Peterborough United. He came on as a substitute and even gave away a penalty in the game, which Fulham still won 6–2. His first league game was on January 22, also as a substitute, in a 2–0 win against Stoke City.

Later, in 2011, another club, Swansea City, tried to loan Halliche. However, FIFA, the world football organization, did not allow the move to happen. So, he remained a Fulham player.

On August 31, 2012, Fulham announced that Halliche's contract had ended by agreement.

Back to Portugal: Académica

Halliche returned to Portugal on August 31, 2012. He signed a two-year deal with Académica de Coimbra. During his time there, he worked hard to become a regular starter for the team.

Playing in Qatar: Qatar SC

On July 13, 2014, Halliche moved to the Middle East. He signed with Qatar SC, a football club in Qatar.

International Career for Algeria

Halliche played his first game for the Algerian national team on May 31, 2008, against Senegal. He came on as a substitute in the 75th minute.

On November 18, 2009, he started in a very important game against Egypt. This game decided which team would go to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Algeria won 1–0, which meant they would play in the World Cup for the first time in 24 years!

Halliche was also part of the team for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored the only goal in a win against Mali, which helped Algeria stay in the competition. In the semi-finals, he was sent off (given a red card) in the first half against Egypt.

He was chosen to play for Algeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He played every minute of all the matches. Algeria's defense was very strong, only letting in two goals in the group stage.

Halliche was also selected for the next World Cup in 2014. He was the captain of the team. In a group game against South Korea on June 22, he scored a goal with a header from a corner kick. This helped Algeria win 4–2.

Career Statistics

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Halliche goal.

List of international goals scored by Rafik Halliche

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	14 January 2010	11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola	Mali	1–0	1–0	2010 Africa Cup of Nations
2	22 June 2014	Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil	South Korea	2–0	4–2	2014 FIFA World Cup
3	11 October 2014	Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi	Malawi	1–0	2–0	2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours and Achievements

Algeria

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2019

See also

In Spanish: Rafik Halliche para niños