# Rachid Mekhloufi

Rachid Mekhloufi (Arabic: رشيد مخلوفي; 12 August 1936 – 8 November 2024) was an Algerian footballer who played as a striker. He later became a manager and coached the Algeria national team.

## International career

In the middle of the Algerian War, on 13 April 1958, ten of the most well-known France-based Algerian professional footballers fled from France to go and play for the new FLN football team. This team was created from the National Liberation Front (Algeria). One of these 10 players was Rachid Mekhloufi. Rachid, "abandoned the French team preparing for the World Cup Finals in Sweden and instantly became an Algerian national symbol." By the summer, more and more France-based Algerians came to join the original ten who fled. Rachid and his teammates wanted to show the French people the serious war that was going on in Algeria. Many in France did not realize the extent of the war raging in Algeria, but when ten high-profile players left, the French citizens had to wonder and figure out the exact reason, especially when a few of the 10 footballers were preparing for the World Cup Finals. At the same time, both Rachid and his teammates gave a sense of nationalism to the citizens of Algeria during their efforts in the war. Mekhloufi (and many others) sacrificed their careers by playing in less competitive environments with less demanding training regimes. Mekhloufi is quoted saying "I had lost the taste for effort, the necessary fight" when asked about playing political football. Even though France attempted to hinder the FLN team's success by requesting to FIFA that the team not be recognized, FIFA was only able to enforce these restrictions in some countries.

## Death

On 8 November 2024, it was announced that Mekhloufi had died at the age of 88.

## Career statistics
### Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Saint-Étienne | 1954–55 | Division 1 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 13 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1955–56 | Division 1 | 31 | 21 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 21 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1956–57 | Division 1 | 30 | 25 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 32 | 26 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1957–58 | Division 1 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 29 | 5 |
| Saint-Étienne | Total | Total | 102 | 59 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 118 | 65 |
| Servette | 1962–63 | Nationalliga A | 19 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 22 | 15 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1963–64 | Division 1 | 34 | 16 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 16 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1964–65 | Division 1 | 32 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 9 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1965–66 | Division 1 | 38 | 21 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 39 | 22 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1966–67 | Division 1 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 41 | 14 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1967–68 | Division 1 | 30 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 12 |
| Saint-Étienne | Total | Total | 192 | 78 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 217 | 87 |
| Bastia | 1968–69 | Division 1 | 33 | 13 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 13 |
| Bastia | 1969–70 | Division 1 | 34 | 7 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 43 | 9 |
| Bastia | Total | Total | 67 | 20 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 77 | 22 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 380 | 170 | 42 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 434 | 189 |
* ↑ Includes the Coupe de France, Coupe Charles Drago and Swiss Cup.
* 1 2 3 4 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.
List of international goals scored by Rachid Mekhloufi :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 28 February 1963 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria | Czechoslovakia | 2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 1 | 28 February 1963 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria | Czechoslovakia | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 5 July 1963 | Stade d'El Anasser, Algiers | Egypt | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 7 July 1963 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria | Egypt | 1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 22 March 1963 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | Egypt | 1–2 | 2–2 | 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
* Lebanese Premier League Best Coach: 1996–97