Rafik Saïfi
Rafik Saïfi (Arabic رفيق صايفي, DMG Rafiq Ṣāyifī; born February 7, 1975 in Algiers ) is an Algerian football player. He plays the position of striker.
Career
Rafik Saïfi began playing football in the small Algerian clubs Bordj El Kiffan, Sougeur and El Khechna, and did there emerged as the top scorer. In 1996 he moved to MC Algiers and three years later with the capital club Algerian champions. Though he was very popular with the fans of the club because of its large share of this success, decided Saïfi 1999 to change to ES Troyes AC in France. For the club from the Champagne played a total of five seasons, came here regularly used, and stayed him even after relegation to Ligue 2 in 2003 faithful. A year later he moved to FC Istres, who had just gained in the French Ligue 1. Here he played in stem formation, but increased with the club from the end of the season so Saïfi joined the Corsican club AC Ajaccio. After even his new club at the end of the 2005/06 season only took a descent place to Saïfi joined the FC Lorient. After three more seasons in Ligue 1, with 90 games and 25 goals Rafik Saïfi moved to the end of his career on August 8, 2009 Al -Khor Sports Club in Qatar. Although he scored a hit there in his first competitive match, pushed his frequent exemptions for the Algerian national team at his new employer with little enthusiasm, why Saïfi soon on loan to his former club FC Istres, who played now in Ligue 2, returned.
For the national team of Algeria Saïfi came in 1998 during a friendly match against Bulgaria on its first international match. Afterwards he was appointed regular in the national team was at the African Cup of Nations 2002 Mali to the root of the team, however, was eliminated after the first round. After more than 50 games for Algeria, Algeria coach Rabah Saâdane it had not been included in early 2010 for disciplinary reasons in the squad for the African Cup of Nations in Angola. With the Football World Cup 2010 he was back in the squad and was twice against Slovenia and the United States, brought on in the final minutes.
Achievements
- Algerian Champion 1999
Awards
- DZFoot d'Or in 2007 and 2008
- Algerian Ballon d'Or El Haddaf