Rafik Halliche
Encyclopedia
Rafik Halliche is an Algerian
footballer who plays for Fulham
in England
, as a central defender.
, NA Hussein Dey
's Halliche received interest from a number of French
clubs, namely AJ Auxerre
and Valenciennes FC
. However, on the 30th, he signed a four-year contract with Portugal
's S.L. Benfica, which immediately loaned him to fellow league outfit C.D. Nacional until the end of the season.
On 30 March 2008, Halliche made his debut for Nacional coming on
at half-time
in a 2–0 home league win against União de Leiria. He would go on to make two more appearances as a starter for the club before going back to Benfica at the end of the loan, which was then extended for the entirety of 2008–09, and also the following season.
, for £
1.3 million. On 23 August, Benfica confirmed the sale of the player, who signed a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Later, Benfica Stars Fund
, the third parties owner of the player, disclosed the total transfer fee was €2,556,055.90 in two installments.
Halliche made his official début 8 January 2011, replacing Brede Hangeland
in the FA Cup
's third round tie
against Peterborough United
. He conceded a penalty
in the 85th minute for tripping Craig Mackail-Smith
, in an eventual 6–2 win. His first league appearance came on the 22nd, again from the bench (for Aaron Hughes
), in a 2–0 home win against Stoke City
.
Swansea City
made a successful loan bid for Halliche during the 2011 summer transfer window, but several weeks after the deadline, FIFA
denied international clearance to Swansea for both his move and Darnel Situ
's move from RC Lens
, leaving the defender as a Fulham player, subject to an appeal by the Welsh
side.
on 31 May 2008 against Senegal
, coming as a substitute for Anthar Yahia in the 75th minute. On 18 November 2009, he started – in the decisive tie-breaker
against Egypt for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers
, as the national side won 1–0 in Sudan
and returned to the FIFA World Cup
24 years after its last presence.
Halliche was also summoned for the 2010 African Cup of Nations
, in Angola
; he kept the national side's qualification hopes alive after scoring the only goal in a win against Mali
, after a loss to Malawi
in the opener. In the semifinals, he was sent off
in the first half after being given two yellow cards, the last one also resulting in a penalty
, in a 4–0 loss to Egypt.
Halliche was picked to represent Algeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, playing all the matches and minutes as the national side only conceded two goals in the group stage, but finished last in their group after failing to score once.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
footballer who plays for Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as a central defender.
Early years / Nacional
In the January 2008 transfer windowTransfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
, NA Hussein Dey
NA Hussein Dey
Nasr Athlétique de Hussein Dey is an Algerian football club based in Hussein Dey, Algiers. The club was founded in 1947 by the merger of three clubs from Hussein Dey: Nedjma Sport de Hussein Dey, l’Idéal Club de la Glacière and l’Espérance Sportive de Léveilley. Their home stadium is Stade Frères...
's Halliche received interest from a number of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
clubs, namely AJ Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
and Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
. However, on the 30th, he signed a four-year contract with Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's S.L. Benfica, which immediately loaned him to fellow league outfit C.D. Nacional until the end of the season.
On 30 March 2008, Halliche made his debut for Nacional coming on
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
at half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
in a 2–0 home league win against União de Leiria. He would go on to make two more appearances as a starter for the club before going back to Benfica at the end of the loan, which was then extended for the entirety of 2008–09, and also the following season.
Fulham
On 16 August 2010, Halliche was reported to be linked with a move to Premier League side FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1.3 million. On 23 August, Benfica confirmed the sale of the player, who signed a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Later, Benfica Stars Fund
Benfica Stars Fund
Benfica Stars Fund is a football investment fund. It was set up by "ESAF – Espírito Santo Fundos de Investimento Mobiliário S.A." in 2009. At first the fund had 8,000,000 unit with €5 each.-History:...
, the third parties owner of the player, disclosed the total transfer fee was €2,556,055.90 in two installments.
Halliche made his official début 8 January 2011, replacing Brede Hangeland
Brede Hangeland
Brede Paulsen Hangeland is a Norwegian footballer who plays for Fulham in the Premier League and the Norwegian national team, of which he is the captain. The son of a Norwegian oil company worker, Hangeland was born in Houston, Texas during his parents' two-year spell in the United States, but...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
's third round tie
2010–11 FA Cup
The 2010–11 FA Cup was the 130th season of the world's oldest association football knock-out competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short...
against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
. He conceded a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in the 85th minute for tripping Craig Mackail-Smith
Craig Mackail-Smith
Craig Anthony Robert Mackail-Smith is a footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion as a striker. He has also played for England C and at full international level for Scotland...
, in an eventual 6–2 win. His first league appearance came on the 22nd, again from the bench (for Aaron Hughes
Aaron Hughes
Aaron William Hughes is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Fulham. Hughes is able to play centre back, right back or left back, as well as anywhere in midfield. He is usually deployed in a centre half position for his club and country, and is the current Northern Ireland captain...
), in a 2–0 home win against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
.
Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
made a successful loan bid for Halliche during the 2011 summer transfer window, but several weeks after the deadline, FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
denied international clearance to Swansea for both his move and Darnel Situ
Darnel Situ
Darnel Situ-Buyente is a French football player of Congolese descent who currently plays for Swansea City in the Premier League. He is a French youth international and has captained at all levels of youth he has played at...
's move from RC Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
, leaving the defender as a Fulham player, subject to an appeal by the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
side.
International career
Halliche made his debut for AlgeriaAlgeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
on 31 May 2008 against Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
, coming as a substitute for Anthar Yahia in the 75th minute. On 18 November 2009, he started – in the decisive tie-breaker
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - CAF Third Round
This page provides the summaries of the CAF Third Round matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. The 20 qualifiers were split into 5 groups of four, in the draw held on 22 October 2008 in Zürich, Switzerland...
against Egypt for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa...
, as the national side won 1–0 in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and returned to the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
24 years after its last presence.
Halliche was also summoned for the 2010 African Cup of Nations
2010 African Cup of Nations
The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football championship of Africa...
, in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
; he kept the national side's qualification hopes alive after scoring the only goal in a win against Mali
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
, after a loss to Malawi
Malawi national football team
The Malawi national football team, nicknamed The Flames, is the national team of Malawi and is controlled by the Football Association of Malawi. Before 1966 they were known as the Nyasaland national football team...
in the opener. In the semifinals, he was sent off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
in the first half after being given two yellow cards, the last one also resulting in a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
, in a 4–0 loss to Egypt.
Halliche was picked to represent Algeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, playing all the matches and minutes as the national side only conceded two goals in the group stage, but finished last in their group after failing to score once.