Rachid Mekhloufi
Footballer and coach (1936–2024)
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Rachid Mekhloufi (12 August 1936 – 8 November 2024) was a football player and coach. Born in Algeria, Mekhloufi played as a striker for the France, FLN, and Algeria national teams.
 Mekhloufi in 1950s | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 12 August 1936 | ||
| Place of birth | Sétif, French Algeria | ||
| Date of death | 8 November 2024 (aged 88) | ||
| Place of death | Algiers, Algeria | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1954 | USM Sétif | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1954–1958 | Saint-Étienne | 102 | (59) |
| 1962–1963 | Servette | 19 | (13) |
| 1963–1968 | Saint-Étienne | 192 | (78) |
| 1968–1970 | Bastia | 67 | (20) |
| Total | 380 | (170) | |
| International career | |||
| 1956–1957 | France | 4 | (0) |
| 1958–1962 | FLN | 40 | (43) |
| 1963–1969[1] | Algeria | 10 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1969–1970 | Bastia | ||
| 1971–1972 | Algeria | ||
| 1975–1979 | Algeria | ||
| 1981–1982 | AS Marsa | ||
| 1992–1993 | AS Marsa | ||
| 1996–1998 | Nejmeh | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
International career
On 13 April 1958, during the Algerian War, Mekhloufi was among ten France-based Algerian professional footballers who secretly left France to join the FLN football team, which had been established by the National Liberation Front. At the time, he was considered one of France's most promising players and was a member of the provisional squad preparing for the 1958 FIFA World Cup. His departure brought significant attention to the FLN team and its cause. By joining the FLN team, Mekhloufi spent several years outside FIFA-recognized competition, later stating that the experience had affected his competitive edge. Despite French efforts to prevent the team's international activities through FIFA, the FLN team continued to play matches in a number of countries.[2]
Death
On 8 November 2024, it was announced that Mekhloufi had died at the age of 88.[3]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Saint-Étienne | 1954–55 | Division 1 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 4 | — | — | 22 | 13 | ||
| 1955–56 | 31 | 21 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 21 | ||||
| 1956–57 | 30 | 25 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 26 | ||||
| 1957–58 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | — | 29 | 5 | |||
| Total | 102 | 59 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 118 | 65 | |||
| Servette | 1962–63 | Nationalliga A | 19 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 2 | — | 22 | 15 | |
| Saint-Étienne | 1963–64 | Division 1 | 34 | 16 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 16 | ||
| 1964–65 | 32 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | — | 39 | 9 | |||
| 1965–66 | 38 | 21 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 22 | ||||
| 1966–67 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | 1[c] | 1 | 41 | 14 | |||
| 1967–68 | 30 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 39 | 12 | |||
| Total | 192 | 78 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 217 | 87 | ||
| Bastia | 1968–69 | Division 1 | 33 | 13 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 13 | ||
| 1969–70 | 34 | 7 | 9 | 2 | — | — | 43 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 67 | 20 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 77 | 22 | ||||
| Career total | 380 | 170 | 42 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 434 | 189 | ||
- Includes the Coupe de France, Coupe Charles Drago and Swiss Cup.
- Appearance(s) in European Champion Clubs' Cup
- Appearance in Challenge des champions
International
- Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mekhloufi goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 February 1963 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria |  Czechoslovakia | 2–0 | 4–0[5] | Friendly |
| 1 | 3–0 | |||||
| 2 | 5 July 1963 | Stade d'El Anasser, Algiers |  Egypt | 1–1 | 1–1[6] | Friendly |
| 3 | 7 July 1963 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria | Egypt | 1–1 | 2–2[7] | Friendly |
| 6 | 22 March 1963 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | Egypt | 1–2 | 2–2[8] | Friendly |
Honours
Player
Saint-Étienne
- French Division 1: 1956–57, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68
- Coupe de France: 1968
- Trophée des Champions: 1957, 1967
- Coupe Charles Drago: 1955, 1958
France military
- Military World Cup: 1957
Individual
- All-time AS Saint-Étienne top scorer: 192 goals
Manager
Algeria
- Mediterranean Games gold medal: 1975
- All-Africa Games gold medal: 1978
Individual