Yacine Nasreddine Brahimi (born 8 February 1990) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays for and captains the Qatari club
Al-Gharafa
Al-Gharafa Sports Club ( ar, نادي الغرافة الرياضي) is a Qatari multisports club based in the Al Gharrafa district of Al Rayyan. It is best known for its football team, although it also has teams for other sports. It was estab ...
and the
Algeria national team. He plays as an
attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
and a
winger and is described as "technically gifted" . Yacine is also known for his "Brahimi Moments" (in Portuguese, "Momentos Brahimi").
Brahimi began his career throughout various clubs in the
Île-de-France
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 = +01:00
, timezone1_DST = CEST
, utc_offset1_DST = +02:00
, blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product
, blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st
, bla ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
, having trained at ASB Montreuil and CO Vincennois. In 2003, he was selected to attend the
Clairefontaine academy. Brahimi spent three years at the academy and, upon leaving, signed with
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
. While in the club's youth academy, he achieved several club honours. After turning professional, Brahimi was loaned out to
second division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
club
Clermont Foot
Clermont Foot 63 (Occitan language, Occitan: ''Clarmont d'Auvèrnhe''; commonly referred to as Clermont Foot or simply Clermont) is a Football in France, French association football club based in Clermont-Ferrand. The first incarnation of the c ...
. While at Clermont, he had a successful individual
2009–10 season. After spending the previous season there on loan, he moved to the
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
club
Granada CF
Granada Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. (), known simply as Granada, is a Spanish football club based in the city of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, that plays in the Segunda División, after being relegated from La Liga in the 2021 ...
in 2013, and then to Porto for €6.5 million one year later.
An Algerian international, Brahimi is a former
France youth international having represented the country at all youth levels. In 2009, he played on the
under-19 team that reached the semi-finals at the
2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2009 Final Tournament was held in Ukraine in the cities of Donetsk and Mariupol. Players born after 1 January 1990 were eligible to participate in this competition.
Qualification
Qualification for the final ...
. In February 2013, Brahimi switched his international allegiance to Algeria and made his debut for them a month later, also playing at the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
and the
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
and
2021 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (also referred to as AFCON 2021 or CAN 2021), known as the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's foo ...
, winning the 2019 tournament.
Club career
Early career
Brahimi was born in Paris to Algerian parents and grew up in the eastern suburbs of Paris in
Montreuil in
Seine-Saint-Denis
() is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as ' or ' ("ninety-three" or "nine three"), after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobigny ...
.
While growing up, he often emulated
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He most recently coached Spanish club Real Madrid and is one of the most ...
while playing
street football
The terms street football and street soccer (American and Canadian English) encompass a number of informal varieties of association football. These informal pick up games do not necessarily follow the requirements of a formal game of footbal ...
with friends. Brahimi began his football career playing for his local club ASB Montreuil. After a four-year stint there, he joined CO Vincennois, known for producing
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
player
Blaise Matuidi
Blaise Matuidi (born 9 April 1987) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He most notably played for Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and the France national team.
Matuidi began his football career playing for ...
, in nearby
Vincennes
Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attached ...
. Two years later, Brahimi was selected to attend the renowned
Clairefontaine academy in 2003 in order to further his development.
While training at Clairefontaine during the week, he regularly played for Vincennois on the weekends. In his final year at Clairefontaine, Brahimi spent a year at the
Camp des Loges
The Camp des Loges, also known as Ooredoo Training Centre for sponsorship reasons, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is the training ground of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The current version of the Camp des Loges opened in Novem ...
, the youth training centre of
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
, training alongside youth international teammate
Mamadou Sakho
Mamadou Sakho (born 13 February 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Ligue 1 club Montpellier.
Sakho began his career at Paris FC before moving to Paris Saint-Germain's youth system in 2002. In October 200 ...
.
Despite being courted by several French and European clubs, following his stint at Clairefontaine, he signed an ''aspirant'' (youth) contract with
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
. In October 2010, Brahimi cited choosing Rennes as his destination because of the club's educational value, stating, "In Rennes, the academy gives much importance to the schoolwork", and, "It was a warranty for my parents. They advised me to choose Stade Rennes. That way, I could continue my football training while preparing my
Baccalauréat
The ''baccalauréat'' (; ), often known in France colloquially as the ''bac'', is a French national academic qualification that students can obtain at the completion of their secondary education (at the end of the ''lycée'') by meeting certain ...
."
Rennes
Brahimi joined Rennes and quickly became a part of a slew of talent in the club's youth academy. He joined
Damien Le Tallec
Damien Vincent Denis Le Tallec (born 19 April 1990) is a French-Russian professional footballer who plays for club Sochaux-Montbéliard. He is the younger brother of striker Anthony Le Tallec, and cousin of Florent Sinama Pongolle. Like his o ...
(the younger brother of
Anthony Le Tallec
Anthony Le Tallec (born 3 October 1984) is a French former professional footballer who played as a forward or an attacking midfielder for Liverpool, Sochaux, and Annecy FC.
Club career Liverpool
Born in Hennebont, Le Tallec was signed from Le H ...
),
Yann M'Vila
Yann Gérard M'Vila (born 29 June 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays for Super League Greece club Olympiacos. He operates primarily as a defensive midfielder, and is described by his former club as a player who possesses "excell ...
,
Yohann Lasimant
Yohann Lasimant (born 4 September 1989) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Winger (sports), winger and midfielder for Championnat National 3 club Besançon Football.
Club career Rennes and Sedan
Born in Bes ...
,
Kévin Théophile-Catherine
Kévin Théophile-Catherine (born 28 October 1989) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for SuperSport HNL club Dinamo Zagreb.
Career Stade Rennais
Théophile-Catherine was born in Saint-Brieuc, Brittany to a Martiniqu ...
and
Samuel Souprayen
Samuel Souprayen (born 18 February 1989) is a French professional footballer who plays for A-League club Melbourne City. He plays as a centre back capable of playing on the left side of defense, as well. He is a former France youth internatio ...
as the club's most sought after prospects. The combination of M'Vila, Brahimi, Camara and Le Tallec (all four being members of the class of 1990) were particularly instrumental in their youth team's successes. With the under-16 team, the foursome won the Tournoi Carisport, a national tournament that regularly pits the top academies in France against each other. Two seasons later with the under-18 team, Brahimi won the under-18 league championship for the 2006–07 season. In 2008, the youth academy achieved its biggest honour after winning the
Coupe Gambardella
The Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-18s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation (FFF).
The cup is regarded as an opportunity for young hopefuls to showcase their sk ...
. The title was Rennes' third Gambardella Cup and its first since 2003 when the likes of
Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff (born 11 July 1986) is a French former professional footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder. He could also be utilized as a withdrawn striker, and was described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an a ...
and
Sylvain Marveaux
Sylvain Marveaux (born 15 April 1986) is a French professional association football, footballer. He can play a variety of positions in Midfielder, midfield, but is mostly utilized as a Midfielder#Winger, right-sided midfielder or an Midfielder#A ...
were playing in the competition. Following the
2007–08 season, on 23 June, Brahimi signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal until June 2011. Though on a professional contract, Brahimi was not assigned a number on the senior team and instead played on the club's
Championnat de France amateur
The Championnat National 2, commonly known as National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA), is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth tier of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue ...
team in the fourth division appearing in 22 matches and scoring three goals helping the side finish 1st among professional clubs in their group, thus qualifying for the
competition's playoffs, where they lost to
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
in the semi-finals.
Clermont (loan)
Following a successful
international season with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Rennes decided it would be best to send the young player on loan to receive some much needed playing time. On 3 July 2009, the club announced that Brahimi would join Ligue 2 club
Clermont Foot
Clermont Foot 63 (Occitan language, Occitan: ''Clarmont d'Auvèrnhe''; commonly referred to as Clermont Foot or simply Clermont) is a Football in France, French association football club based in Clermont-Ferrand. The first incarnation of the c ...
on loan for the entire
2009–10 season. Brahimi arrived at the club following the
2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2009 Final Tournament was held in Ukraine in the cities of Donetsk and Mariupol. Players born after 1 January 1990 were eligible to participate in this competition.
Qualification
Qualification for the final ...
, alongside fellow loanee from
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
Carlo Vecchione
Carlo Vecchione (born 27 June 1988 in Naples) is an Italian professional football player. Currently, he plays as a midfielder in the Ligue 2 for Clermont Foot on loan from Italian club Juventus F.C.
Career Juventus
Vecchione started his career ...
, and was assigned the number 28 shirt. He made his professional debut on the opening match day of the season appearing as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat to
Arles-Avignon. He scored his first goal for the club on 25 September converting a
penalty
Penalty or The Penalty may refer to:
Sports
* Penalty (golf)
* Penalty (gridiron football)
* Penalty (ice hockey)
* Penalty (rugby)
* Penalty (rugby union)
* Penalty kick (association football)
* Penalty shoot-out (association football)
* Penalty ...
in the club's 3–2 win over
Angers
Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the prov ...
. Brahimi's first goal in open play occurred on 4 December in Clermont's 3–1 win away to
Bastia
Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...
. Two weeks later, he scored again, converting another penalty in a 1–1 draw with
Guingamp
Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 6,895 as of 2017, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guinga ...
.
On 23 March 2010, Brahimi scored the opening goal in Clermont's 3–0 win over
Ajaccio
Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...
. Three days later, he scored a goal and provided an assist in a 3–1 away victory over
Istres
Istres (; Occitan: Istre) is a commune in southern France, some 60 km (38 mi) northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture.
Location
Istr ...
. A month later, Brahimi converted his third penalty of the season in a 3–2 victory over
Dijon
Dijon (, , ) (dated)
* it, Digione
* la, Diviō or
* lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920.
The earlies ...
. The win moved Clermont up to 4th position in the league standings and just three points off a promotion place. The following week, Brahimi continued to display his offensive prowess scoring against
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
. However, the match ended in a 2–1 defeat for Clermont. It was the club's first defeat in a match where Brahimi had scored a goal. Three days later, Brahimi scored his eight goal of the campaign in a 3–1 victory against
Guingamp
Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 6,895 as of 2017, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guinga ...
. The victory established a ''promotion playoff'' match on the final match day of the season as fourth-placed Clermont faced third-placed Arles-Avignon with the victory earning promotion to Ligue 1. Unfortunately for Clermont, the club failed to earn promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in club history as it lost the match 1–0. Brahimi played 89 minutes in the match receiving a yellow card in the process.
Return to Rennes
![YacineBrahimi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/YacineBrahimi.jpg)
Following the season, on 15 May 2010, Rennes manager
Frédéric Antonetti
Frédéric Antonetti (born 19 August 1961) is a French professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of French club Metz. He previously managed Bastia, Gamba Osaka, Saint-Étienne, Nice, Rennes and Lille.
E ...
confirmed that Brahimi would return to the team, despite interest from
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
, and that he would be heavily relied upon for the
2010–11 season possibly serving as the
playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's play, and is often involved in offensively and defensively playing passing moves which lead to goals, through their vision, technique, ball control, creativit ...
replacing the aging
Jérôme Leroy. On 7 August 2010, Brahimi made his club debut for Rennes in the club's opening league match against
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
. He started the match and played 71 minutes in a 1–1 draw. The following day, Rennes announced that Brahimi had signed a four-year contract extension with the club. The new deal was to keep him at the club until June 2014.
On 14 August 2010, Brahimi scored his first career goal for the club in a 3–0 victory over
Nancy. For a portion of the fall season, the play-maker underwent a dry spell not scoring a goal or providing an assist. As a result, Brahimi began rotating in and out of the starting lineup. After the winter break, Brahimi returned to form scoring and providing an assist in the team's 7–0 hammering of
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National ( en, French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, t ...
club
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
in the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...
. One week later, he scored a double in a 4–0 league win over Arles-Avignon. On 5 February 2011, Brahimi scored a goal against his former youth club Paris Saint-Germain. The long-range driven goal was the only goal of the match as the victory moved Rennes equal on points with PSG for second place.
Granada
On 30 August 2012, Brahimi signed on loan for
Granada CF
Granada Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. (), known simply as Granada, is a Spanish football club based in the city of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, that plays in the Segunda División, after being relegated from La Liga in the 2021 ...
of the Spanish
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
for €700,000, with the option to sign for €4 million afterwards. This option was taken on 4 June 2013, when he signed a four-year deal at the club. At the
LFP Awards
The La Liga Awards, previously known as the LFP Awards, were presented annually by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) to the best players and coach in La Liga, the first division of association football in Spain. Established in the 2008–09 ...
, he was voted the best African player of the
2013–14 season.
Porto
On 22 July 2014,
FC Porto
Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
announced the signing of Brahimi from Granada for a €6.5 million transfer fee and on a five-year contract. On 24 July 2014 Porto sold 80% of his economic rights to
Doyen Sports
Doyen and doyenne (from the French word ''doyen'', ''doyenne'' in the feminine grammatical gender) is the senior ambassador by length of service in a particular country.
In the English language, the meaning of doyen (feminine form: doyenne) h ...
for €5 million. The deals effectively made Porto acquired 20% economic rights of the player for €1.5 million.
Brahimi's first goal for the club came in the second leg of their
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
play-off against Lille, scoring directly from a free-kick as Porto advanced to the group stage with a 3–0 aggregate victory. He scored his first
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
for the club in Porto's first match of the Champions League group stage, a 6–0 home win over
BATE Borisov on 17 September. In their next European fixture, he had his penalty saved by goalkeeper
Andriy Pyatov
Andriy Valeriyovych Pyatov ( uk, Андрій Валерійович П'ятов; born 28 June 1984) is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk.
Club career Artemida K ...
with the game goalless at
Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...
. He scored his first league goal against
C.D. Nacional
Clube Desportivo Nacional, commonly known as Nacional and sometimes Nacional da Madeira (), is a Portuguese football club based in Funchal, on the island of Madeira.
Founded on 8 December 1910, it currently plays in the Liga Portugal 2, Portug ...
in a 2–0 win on 1 November. On 5 November, Brahimi scored one goal and assisted another as Porto defeated
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club ( eu, Bilboko Athletic Kluba; es, Athletic Club de Bilbao), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao or just Athletic, is a professional Association football, football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country (autonomous com ...
2–0 to secure qualification to the knockout stage of the Champions League.
On 26 June 2015, Porto bought back 30% economic rights from Doyen for €3.8 million.
Brahimi scored one goal as Porto defeated
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
2–0 in the group stage of the
2015–16 UEFA Champions League
The 2015–16 UEFA Champions League was the 61st season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 24th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona were t ...
.
He left Porto upon the expiration of his contract on 30 June 2019.
Al-Rayyan
On 22 July 2019, Brahimi joined
Qatar Stars League
The Qatar Stars League ( ar, دوري نجوم قطر), or the QSL, also called QNB Stars League for sponsorship reasons, is the top level football league in Qatar football league system. Contested by 12 teams, it operates on a system of promotio ...
side
Al-Rayyan
Al Rayyan (; also spelled as ''Ar Rayyan'') is the third-largest municipalities of Qatar, municipality in the state of Qatar. Its primary settlement is the Al Rayyan (city), city of the same name, which occupies the entire eastern section and lar ...
. In his first season, he scored 15 goals and assisted 5 times in 22 appearances in league. The club finished second without to win any trophies, also the team was eliminated in the
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...
playoff round. In his second season, after the team’s faltering start, Brahimi was linked with a move to QSL champions
Al-Duhail in January 2021.
International career
France
As early as age 13, Brahimi began featuring with regional youth teams playing for
Île-de-France
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 = +01:00
, timezone1_DST = CEST
, utc_offset1_DST = +02:00
, blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product
, blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st
, bla ...
alongside future youth international teammates
Mamadou Sakho
Mamadou Sakho (born 13 February 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Ligue 1 club Montpellier.
Sakho began his career at Paris FC before moving to Paris Saint-Germain's youth system in 2002. In October 200 ...
,
Tripy Makonda,
Maxime Partouche and
Sébastien Corchia. Brahimi made his debut for the under-16 team on 21 March 2006 converting a penalty in a 3–1 victory over
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. He played with the under-16 team at the 2006 edition of the
Montaigu Tournament
The Montaigu Tournament (french: Tournoi de Montaigu) is an international association football competition that is contested by under-16 national teams and clubs. The tournament is also known as Mondial Minimes.
The games are held in stadiums lo ...
playing in all four matches the team contested as France were crowned champions defeating
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
2–1 in the final. With the under-17 team, Brahimi made his debut on 25 September in a
qualification match
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
for the
2007 UEFA European Under-17 Championship
The UEFA European Under-17 Championship 2007 Final Tournament was held in Belgium from 2 to 13 May 2007. Top-five teams (two best places from each group plus winner of playoff between third-placed teams) qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007 ...
against
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. France won the match 4–2 with Brahimi making a substitute appearance. Despite appearing in the first round of qualification, Brahimi was absent from the tournament itself, due to the player struggling to adapt at his new club domestically.
He later failed to make the team that qualified for the
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007, the twelfth edition of the tournament, was held in South Korea between 18 August and 9 September 2007. For this event, the number of teams had been expanded from 16 to 24, with the top two of each group and the four ...
, which was achieved by virtue of their semi-final appearance in the UEFA-sanctioned tournament. Brahimi made his debut with the under-18 team on 18 December 2007 in a
friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
against Portugal in a 1–0 loss and later featured in two friendly matches against Germany, one of which was played at the
GAZi-Stadion auf der Waldau
The Waldau-Stadion, known as the Gazi-Stadion auf der Waldau for sponsorship purposes, is a multi-use stadium in the Degerloch district in Stuttgart, Germany. The stadium is situated approximately 200m southwest of the Fernsehturm Stuttgart and ...
in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
.
With the under-19 team, Brahimi appeared in all 19 matches scoring 12 goals. He was immense during the
2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification 2009 UEFA U-19 Championship (Qualifying Round) was the first round of qualifications for the Final Tournament of 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. The final tournament of the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship is preceded by two quali ...
scoring a team-leading five goals against
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
, scoring two goals each against the Liechtenstein and the hosts. Brahimi also scored several goals in friendly matches. On 30 March 2009, he scored a goal against the
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and, the following month, scored a brace against
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
in a 7–0 rout. At the
2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2009 Final Tournament was held in Ukraine in the cities of Donetsk and Mariupol. Players born after 1 January 1990 were eligible to participate in this competition.
Qualification
Qualification for the final ...
, Brahimi scored two goals, one against
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
and another against
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. The match-winning goal against Spain assured France's progression to the semi-finals, where they lost to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Brahimi is also eligible to represent
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
at international level. Following a successful season with Clermont, he was contacted by the
Algerian Football Federation
The Algerian Football Federation (AFF); ( ar, الاتحادية الجزائرية لكرة القدم) is the governing body of football in Algeria. It was formed in 1962 and was based in the capital Algiers. It has jurisdiction on the Algerian ...
, which offered the player an opportunity to play on the team at the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
.
Brahimi was set to be named to
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Rabah Saadane's preliminary squad list for the competition, but turned down the opportunity with his preference being to continue his international career with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
On 12 May 2010, after almost a year not representing France internationally, Brahimi was called up to the
under-20 team by
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
Patrick Gonfalone to participate in the
2010 Toulon Tournament. In the team's second group stage match against
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, Brahimi scored the final goal in the team's 4–1 victory. He played in all five of the team's matches as France finished in third place.
On 26 August 2010, Brahimi was called up to the under-21 team by coach
Erick Mombaerts
Erick Mombaerts (born 21 April 1955) is a French Association football, football manager and former player.
Playing career
Mombaerts is a youth product of INF Vichy. He went on to play for US Nœux-les-Mines, Nœux-les-Mines and Montluçon Footb ...
for the first time for
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification
The 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship started with a qualifying competition which began on 27 March 2009 and finished on 13 October 2010. The final tournament was held in Denmark between 11–25 June 2011.
The first stage of the qualifyin ...
matches against the
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. He made his under-21 debut in the match against Malta. Brahimi played the entire match in a 2–0 victory. He subsequently featured in the team's three matches before dropping out of the selection for the team's friendly match against
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
in February 2011 due to injury.
Algeria
In February 2013, it was announced Brahimi had decided to switch his
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
national allegiance to represent Algeria. He made his debut a month later as a starter in the 3–1 win over
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
in the
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
On 22 June 2014, Brahimi scored his first international goal, the fourth for Algeria as they won 4–2 against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup.
He started all of Algeria's group matches, and was a substitute in the round of 16 as they lost in extra time to eventual champions
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
Brahimi was also in Algeria's squad for the
2015 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, Equatorial Guinea 2015 for sponsorship reasons, was the 30th staging of the Africa Cup of Nations, the international men's football championship of Africa. It was orga ...
. In their first group match, against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, his cross was headed-in for an equaliser as an
own goal
An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
for
Thulani Hlatshwayo
Thulani Tyson Hlatshwayo (born 18 December 1989) is a South African professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Supersport United and South Africa national soccer team, Bafana Ba ...
as Algeria came from behind to win 3–1. In their next match, he was chosen as
Man of the Match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
, although the team lost 1–0 to
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
. Brahimi featured in their next two matches as well, ending with defeat in the quarter-finals against eventual champions
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
.
Style of play
Described as "technically gifted player", Brahimi is known for his great dribbling abilities and ability to take on players. Described by many coaches and journalists as a "Versatile winger that is unpredictable," Brahimi has earned himself the name as a great dribbler and a winger with pace and skill, earning himself the 2014 BBC African player of the year.
Personal life
Brahimi is a practicing
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Brahimi goal.''
[
]
Honours
Porto
*Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (; English: Premier League, also written as Liga Portugal 1), also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, ...
: 2017–18
*Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese football match played since 1979 between the winners of the Portuguese League (Primeira Liga) and Portuguese ...
: 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
*Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 seaso ...
runners-up: 2015–16
*Taça da Liga
The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual football club competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the Primeira Liga and LigaPro, the top two tier ...
runners-up: 2018–19
Algeria
*Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON (french: Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as CAN, or TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons), and sometimes as African Cup of Nations, is the main internati ...
: 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
*FIFA Arab Cup
The FIFA Arab Cup ( ar, كأس العرب, translit=Kaʾs al-ʿArab), or simply Arab Cup, is an international association football competition which has been organized by FIFA since 2021, and is contested by the senior men's national teams of ...
: 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
Individual
*LFP Awards
The La Liga Awards, previously known as the LFP Awards, were presented annually by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) to the best players and coach in La Liga, the first division of association football in Spain. Established in the 2008–09 ...
Best African Player: 2013–14
*El Heddaf Arab Footballer of the Year ''El Heddaf'' (in Arabic language, Arabic الهدّاف meaning ''The Scorer'') is an Algerian nationwide daily newspaper devoted to Association football, football.
Profile
''El Haddaf'' has a French edition named ''Le Buteur''. The paper organize ...
: 2014
* BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2014
* CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year: 2014
* CAF Team of the Year
The CAF Team of the Year is an annual football award given by the Confederation of African Football during the CAF Awards.
In 2007, the CAF did not choose the team of the year, but rather the best ten players of the last fifty years. The ten pla ...
: 2014, 2015
*DZFoot d'Or The DZFoot d'Or is a football award, created in 2000 by the Algerian football website DZFoot.com, the leading source of Algerian football news. The award is given annually to the Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthograph ...
: 2014
* Algerian Ballon d'or: 2014
*Algerian Olympic and Sports Awards: Best Algerian athletes of the year 2014
*Primeira Liga Goal of the Month: October/November 2015 (vs. C.D. Tondela
Clube Desportivo de Tondela () is a Portuguese professional football club that plays in Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese football. They are based in the town of Tondela, located in Viseu District, and play in the Estádio João Cardoso ...
), October 2016 (vs. F.C. Arouca
Futebol Clube de Arouca () is a football club based in Arouca, Porto Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Founded in 1951, the club plays in the Primeira Liga, holding home games at Estádio Municipal de Arouca, with a 5,000-seat capacity.
History
Founde ...
), January 2018 (vs. Vitória de Guimarães
Vitoria or Vitória may refer to :
People
* Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian
* Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer
* Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer
* Steven Vitória ...
)
* Porto Player of the Year: 2017
*O Jogo
''O Jogo'' (; English: ''The Game'') is a Portuguese daily sport newspaper published in Porto.
History and profile
''O Jogo'' was first published on 22 February 1985 by the Jornal de Notícias company in Porto, and it is seen as appealing main ...
Player of the Year: 2017
*O Jogo Team of the Year: 2017
* FPF "Quinas de Ouro" Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (; English: Premier League, also written as Liga Portugal 1), also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, ...
Team of the Year: 2017
* SJPF Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2017
*2019 Taça da Liga Final
Nineteen or 19 may refer to:
* 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20
* one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019
Films
* ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film
* ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film
Music ...
: Man of the Match[BRAHIMI NÃO RECEBEU PRÉMIO DE MVP DA ALLIANZ CUP POR INDICAÇÃO DO FC PORTOhttp://www.ligarunning.pt/noticias/details.php?id=2497128&s=r]
*Qatar Stars League
The Qatar Stars League ( ar, دوري نجوم قطر), or the QSL, also called QNB Stars League for sponsorship reasons, is the top level football league in Qatar football league system. Contested by 12 teams, it operates on a system of promotio ...
Team of the Year: 2019–20
*Qatar Stars League Joint Top Scorer: 2019–20
* FIFA Arab Cup Golden Ball: 2021
* FIFA Arab Cup Silver Boot: 2021
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brahimi, Yacine
1990 births
Living people
French sportspeople of Algerian descent
French Muslims
Citizens of Algeria through descent
Algerian Muslims
Footballers from Seine-Saint-Denis
French footballers
Algerian footballers
Association football midfielders
INF Clairefontaine players
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. players
Stade Rennais F.C. players
Clermont Foot players
Granada CF footballers
FC Porto players
Al-Rayyan SC players
Al-Gharafa SC players
Ligue 1 players
Ligue 2 players
La Liga players
Primeira Liga players
Qatar Stars League players
France youth international footballers
France under-21 international footballers
Algeria international footballers
2014 FIFA World Cup players
2015 Africa Cup of Nations players
2017 Africa Cup of Nations players
2019 Africa Cup of Nations players
Africa Cup of Nations-winning players
French expatriate footballers
Algerian expatriate footballers
French expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
French expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
French expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Expatriate footballers in Portugal
Expatriate footballers in Qatar
2021 Africa Cup of Nations players
Sportspeople from Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis