Lakhdar Belloumi vs Salah Assad
Algeria against Algeria. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
Lakhdar Belloumi
Algeria · 1980–88 · CAM
- Almanac rating
- 89
- Rank in Algeria
- #3 of 33
- Caps
- 101 · 27 goals
- Clubs
- Ghali Chabab Mascara, MC Algiers, USM Bel-Abbès
Seconds after West Germany equalised in Gijón on 16 June 1982, Belloumi turned in Salah Assad's cross for the 68th-minute winner that beat the reigning European champions 2-1 in Algeria's first World Cup match. He was African Footballer of the Year in 1981, reached the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations final, won Algerian titles with GC Mascara in 1984 and MC Oran in 1988, and retired on 100 caps. Career record: 101 caps and 27 goals for Algeria; club career at Ghali Chabab Mascara, MC Algiers, USM Bel-Abbès.
Salah Assad
Algeria · 1978–82 · LM
- Almanac rating
- 85
- Rank in Algeria
- #7 of 33
- Caps
- 68 · 18 goals
- Clubs
- RC Kouba, FC Mulhouse, Paris Saint-Germain
Two goals inside the first 32 minutes against Chile in Oviedo on 24 June 1982 gave Assad two of Algeria's five goals at that World Cup, and eight days earlier his cross had set up Belloumi's winner against West Germany. He won the Algerian championship with RC Kouba in 1981, gold at the 1978 All-Africa Games, and a runners-up medal at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, where he made the team of the tournament. Career record: 68 caps and 18 goals for Algeria; club career at RC Kouba, FC Mulhouse, Paris Saint-Germain.
The verdict
The almanac puts Lakhdar Belloumi ahead by 4 rating points, 89 against 85.
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