Ali Boumnijel

Ali Boumnijel

Personal information
Full name	Ali Boumnijel
Date of birth	13 April 1966 (1966-04-13)
Place of birth	Menzel Jemil, Tunisia
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1991–1992	Nancy	7	(0)
1992–1997	Gueugnon	166	(0)
1998–2003	Bastia	15	(0)
2003–2004	Rouen	23	(0)
2004–2007	Club Africain
Total		211	(0)
National team
1991–2007	Tunisia	51	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ali Boumnijel (Arabic: علي بومنيجل‎, born 13 April 1966 in Menzel Jemil) is a retired Tunisian football goalkeeper.

The Tunisian international began his career in FC Gueugnon in France, however without playing any games. His first game as a professional footballer came on October 20, 1991 for AS Nancy in a 1:3 loss to AJ Auxerre. Afterwards he returned to his previous team, where he played five seasons, until changing to SC Bastia. He played for Bastia for six years, and then one season at FC Rouen. In 2004 he has problems finding a high-level club in France, much due to his high age. He therefore moved to Tunisia to play for Club Africain.

In the national team he debuted on November 27, 1991 against Côte d'Ivoire, but he had to wait five years for his next international match. Having established himself as a competitive goalkeeper in time for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Tunisia's coach at that time Henryk Kasperczak still used Chokri El Ouaer. Ouaer remained the first choice for many years, until he, shortly before the 2002 FIFA World Cup, gave in due to back problems. Since then Boumnijel has been Tunisia's first choice goalkeeper, playing at the 2004 African Nations Cup.

Aged 40, he was the oldest player at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Boumnijel has been praised for his great leadership and goalkeeping skills during the World Cup.

External links

• Ali Boumnijel at National-Football-Teams.com