Rabah Madjer

Rabah Madjer

Personal information
Full name	Mustapha Rabah Madjer
Date of birth	December 15, 1958 (1958-12-15)
Place of birth	Hussein Dey, Algeria
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1975–1983	Hussein Dey	?	(?)
1983–1984	Racing Paris	50	(23)
1985	Tours	?	(?)
1986–1987	Porto	50	(29)
1987	Valencia	14	(4)
1988–1991	Porto	58	(21)
1991–1992	Qatar SC	?	(?)
National team
1978–1992	Algeria	87	(29)
Teams managed
1993–1995	Algeria
1998–1999	Al-Wakrah
1999	Algeria
2001–2002	Algeria
2005–2006	Al-Rayyan
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Mustapha Rabah Madjer (Arabic: رابح ماجر‎; born 15 December 1958 in Hussein Dey, Algiers) is a retired Algerian footballer.

A skilled striker, he reached stardom as an F.C. Porto player during the 1980s, and is widely regarded as one of the best Algerian football players of all time. He is widely remembered for scoring on 77 minutes, an audacious back-heeled equaliser in FC Porto's first European Cup final, against Bayern Munich in Vienna. He went on to create the late winner, four minutes after his equaliser, setting up substitute Filho Juary. The scoreline ended 2-1 in FC Porto's favour, winning their very first European Cup.

One of the most prolific Algerian internationals in number of games and goals, Madjer played in two World Cups with his national team, helping it to its first ever participation in 1982. Having taken up coaching immediately after retiring, he managed several clubs, and also had several spells with the Algerian team.

Club career

Born in Hussein Dey, Algiers, Madjer started his European career in 1983–84, moving to RCF Paris from NA Hussein Dey. He stayed there during one 1/2 seasons, finishing the 1984–85 campaign with another French side, Tours FC.

Madjer arrived at F.C. Porto in 1985–86 and, the next season, entered the club's history books in the European Cup final against FC Bayern Munich, scoring the 1–1 equalizer in a memorable final, which eventually ended 2–1 to the Portuguese. Pelé is believed to have said of this goal: "It would have been the greatest goal I have ever seen, if he had not looked back at it." He also scored in the club's Intercontinental Cup conquest the same year.

After that stellar 1987, Madjer won the Ballon d'or Africain, but was not allowed to compete for the European Golden Ball as he was not born in the region. He subsequently signed for La Liga's Valencia CF in July, but lasted only a few months with the Che, returning to Porto for a further three 1/2 seasons.

In the 1987–88 Portuguese season, the first upon his return, Madjer scored 10 in only 11 matches, being instrumental in the league conquest. He retired from the game in 1992, aged nearly 34, after a brief stint with Qatar SC.

International career

Madjer played for the Algerian national team for 14 years, and was present at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup finals. He retired as the nation's top goalscorer at 31, in 87 caps, having also won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1990, as the hosts incidentally beat Nigeria twice, in the opening match 5–1 and the final 1–0.

Madjer's most famous goal came in Algeria's 2–1 win over Germany in the 1982 World Cup, when he opened the scoring in the 53rd minute. In 1993, he began coaching the national team but, after failing to qualify for two 1994 major competitions, the World Cup and the CAN, resigned, returning to Porto as a youth coordinator.

After a quick spell in 1999, Madjer returned two years later, only to resign with aggravation in the 2002 summer. He also managed Qatari clubs Al-Wakrah Sports Club and Al-Rayyan Sports Club.

Honours

Club

• Algerian Cup: 1978–79
• European Cup: 1986–87
• UEFA Super Cup: 1987
• Intercontinental Cup: 1987
• Portuguese League: 1985–86, 1987–88, 1990–91
• Portuguese Cup: 1987–88, 1990–91
• Portuguese Supercup: 1986, 1991

Country

• Africa Cup of Nations: 1990; Runner-up 1980
• Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1991

Individual

• African Footballer of the Year: 1987
• Arab Footballer of the 20th Century: 2004
• Algerian Footballer of the 20th Century: 2009 (with Lakhdar Belloumi)
• Algerian Footballer of the Year: Several awards
• African Footballer of the 20th Century: Fifth place

Post-retirement

After his coaching spells, Madjer started a career as a professional analyst in Qatar, for Al-Jazeera Sports.

External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• Biography at Blogportista (Portuguese)
• BDFutbol profile
• Rabah Madjer at National-Football-Teams.com