1. Overview
Rabah Mustapha Madjer (رابح مصطفى ماجرArabic; born December 15, 1958) is an Algerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Algerian football players of all time, he achieved stardom during the 1980s, particularly during his highly successful tenure with FC Porto. In his six years with Porto, he secured nine major titles, including three national championships and the 1987 European Cup. Madjer is also recognized for his significant contributions to the Algeria national football team, representing his country in two World Cups (1982 and 1986) and leading them to victory in the 1990 African Cup of Nations. After retiring from playing, he transitioned into coaching, managing several clubs and having multiple spells with the Algerian national team. He is also known by the nickname Talonnade (TalonnadeFrench, "Heel Magician") due to his skillful use of heel kicks during matches. Beyond football, Madjer has served as a football analyst and a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
2. Early life and background
Rabah Madjer was born on December 15, 1958, in the Algiers district of Hussein Dey, Algeria. He is of Kabyle origin, specifically from Tigzirt. His early life in Algiers set the foundation for his eventual path into professional football.
3. Playing career
Rabah Madjer's playing career spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, during which he became a celebrated striker known for his goal-scoring prowess and innovative techniques, particularly his famous heel kick.
3.1. Club career
Madjer's club career saw him play for teams in Algeria, France, Portugal, and Spain, achieving his most significant successes with FC Porto.
3.1.1. NA Hussein Dey
Madjer began his professional career with his local club, NA Hussein Dey, in Algeria. He played for the club from the 1978-79 season until 1983, contributing significantly to their performance. During his time there, he won the Algerian Cup in the 1978-79 season and was part of the team that finished as runner-up in the 1978 African Cup Winners' Cup. He scored 58 goals in 94 league appearances for the club.
3.1.2. Racing Club de France
In 1983, Madjer moved to Europe, joining French club Racing Club de France (Racing Paris). He spent one and a half seasons with the club, making 27 appearances and scoring 20 goals in Ligue 2 during the 1983-84 season, and 23 appearances with 3 goals in French Division 1 during the 1984-85 season.
3.1.3. Tours FC
During the 1984-85 season, Madjer had a brief loan spell with another French side, Tours FC, where he played 7 matches and scored 2 goals before the end of the season.
3.1.4. FC Porto
Madjer arrived at FC Porto in the 1985-86 season, where he would achieve legendary status. In the following campaign, he etched his name into the club's history books during the European Cup final against Bayern Munich. In a memorable match, Madjer scored the 1-1 equalizer with an audacious back-heel goal, a technique that would become his trademark and earn him the nickname "Heel Magician." He then assisted Juary for the winning goal, securing a 2-1 victory for Porto. This goal was so remarkable that Pelé reportedly commented, "It would have been the greatest goal I have ever seen, if he had not looked back at it."
In the same year, Madjer also scored in Porto's triumph in the Intercontinental Cup, where he scored the decisive goal with a skillful lob shot against Peñarol, earning him the Most Valuable Player of the Match award. His stellar performances in 1987 led to him being named the African Footballer of the Year. However, he was not eligible for the European Golden Ball as he was not born in the region. In the first half of the 1987-88 season, he continued his prolific form, scoring 10 goals in just 11 appearances.
Madjer's first spell with Porto concluded in 1988, but he later returned for another three seasons. His overall contributions to Porto include winning nine major titles, such as three national championships (1985-86, 1987-88, 1989-90), two Taça de Portugal (1987-88, 1990-91), and two Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (1986, 1990). He also won the 1987 European Super Cup with Porto.
3.1.5. Valencia CF
In January 1988, after a potential transfer to Inter Milan fell through due to a detected past thigh muscle injury, and being close to joining FC Bayern Munich, Madjer signed with La Liga club Valencia CF. He played 14 matches and scored 4 goals during his time there. Notably, Johan Cruyff had also attempted to sign Madjer for AFC Ajax after their encounter in the 1987 European Super Cup, but the deal was reportedly leaked, causing Porto to withdraw. Madjer returned to Porto after only a few months with Valencia.
3.1.6. Qatar SC
Madjer concluded his playing career with a brief stint at Qatar SC. He played 9 matches and scored 6 goals for the club during the 1991-92 season before retiring from the game in 1992, at the age of nearly 34.
3.2. International career
Rabah Madjer had a distinguished international career spanning 19 years (from 1978 to 1992) with the Algeria national football team. He is one of Algeria's most prolific international players in terms of appearances and goals, having earned 87 caps and scored 28 goals for his country.
He played a pivotal role in Algeria's participation in two World Cups: the 1982 FIFA World Cup and the 1986 FIFA World Cup. His most famous goal came in Algeria's historic 2-1 victory over West Germany in the 1982 World Cup, where he opened the scoring in the 53rd minute. This win marked Algeria's first-ever participation in the World Cup and was a significant upset.
Madjer also led the Algerian national team to victory in the 1990 African Cup of Nations, which Algeria hosted. In this tournament, Algeria defeated Nigeria twice: first with a dominant 5-1 win in the opening match, and then with a decisive 1-0 victory in the final. He also won the Afro-Asian Cup of Nations in 1991 and the African Games in 1978 with the national team.
4. Post-playing career
Following his retirement as a player, Rabah Madjer embarked on a coaching career, holding various managerial positions at both club and international levels, and later transitioning into media and ambassadorial roles.
He began coaching the Algeria national football team in 1993. However, after failing to qualify for both the 1994 World Cup and the 1994 African Cup of Nations, he resigned in 1994. He then returned to FC Porto as a youth coordinator.
Madjer subsequently managed Qatari clubs, including Al Sadd SC from 1997 to 1998 and Al-Wakrah Sport Club from 1998 to 1999. He had another brief spell as Algeria national team coach in 1999. Two years later, he returned to manage the national team again but resigned in the summer of 2002 amidst internal issues. In 2005, he was appointed coach of Qatari club Al Rayyan SC.
In October 2017, Madjer controversially returned to the post of Algeria national team coach, marking his first managerial role in over a decade. This appointment followed Lucas Alcaraz's failure to guide the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, his tenure was short-lived, as he was dismissed the following June, having secured only two wins in seven games, six of which were friendlies.
After his coaching spells, Madjer began a career as a professional analyst in Qatar, working for Al-Jazeera Sports, which is now known as beIN Sports. In 2009, he was appointed as a UEFA Trophy Tour Ambassador. In 2011, he became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, further extending his influence beyond the football pitch.
5. Personal life
Rabah Madjer has a son named Lotfi Madjer, who also pursued a career in football and represented the Qatar national team at youth level.
6. Statistics
This section provides detailed statistical data from Rabah Madjer's extensive playing career at both club and international levels.
6.1. Club statistics
The following table details Rabah Madjer's appearances and goals by club, season, and competition throughout his club career.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| Hussein Dey | 1978-79 | National 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 1979-80 | 0 | 0 | - | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1980-81 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1981-82 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1982-83 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Total | 94 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 62 | ||||
| Racing Paris | 1983-84 | Ligue 2 | 27 | 20 | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | 32 | 20 | |||||
| 1984-85 | French Division 1 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | 28 | 5 | ||||||
| Total | 50 | 23 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 25 | ||||
| Tours (loan) | 1984-85 | French Division 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 7 | 2 | |||
| Porto | 1985-86 | Primeira Liga | 19 | 12 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 23 | 13 | ||||
| 1986-87 | 20 | 6 | 6 | 4 | - | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 14 | |||||
| 1987-88 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | - | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 15 | |||||
| 1988-89 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 3 | - | 3 | 1 | - | 29 | 10 | ||||||
| 1989-90 | 26 | 13 | 1 | 1 | - | 6 | 2 | - | 33 | 16 | ||||||
| 1990-91 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 108 | 46 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 138 | 71 | ||||
| Valencia (loan) | 1987-88 | La Liga | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 14 | 4 | |||||
| Qatar | 1991-92 | Qatar Stars League | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 9 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 282 | 139 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 341 | 170 | ||||
6.2. International statistics
This table lists all international goals scored by Rabah Madjer for the Algeria national football team. Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, and the score column indicates the score after each Madjer goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 June 1980 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria | Sierra Leone | 3-1 | 3-1 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 20 July 1980 | Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Soviet Union | Syria | 2-0 | 3-0 | 1980 Summer Olympics |
| 3 | 10 April 1981 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria | Mali | 3-0 | 5-1 | 1982 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 4 | 4-0 | |||||
| 5 | 1 May 1981 | 17 Juin, Constantine, Algeria | Niger | 1-0 | 4-0 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 30 August 1981 | 19 Juin 1965, Oran, Algeria | Upper Volta | 1-0 | 7-0 | 1982 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 7 | 2-0 | |||||
| 8 | 30 October 1981 | 17 Juin, Constantine, Algeria | Nigeria | 2-1 | 2-1 | 1982 World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 25 April 1982 | 5 Juillet, Algiers, Algeria | Peru | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 10 | 28 April 1982 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Republic of Ireland | 2-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 11 | 16 June 1982 | El Molinón, Gijón, Spain | West Germany | 1-0 | 2-1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup |
| 12 | 8 April 1983 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Benin | 4-0 | 6-2 | 1984 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 13 | 6-0 | |||||
| 14 | 26 April 1983 | Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin | Benin | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1984 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 15 | 10 June 1983 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Uganda | 1-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 16 | 28 August 1983 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Senegal | 1-0 | 2-0 | 1984 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 17 | 17 March 1984 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | Egypt | 1-0 | 3-1 | 1984 African Cup of Nations |
| 18 | 13 July 1985 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Zambia | 2-0 | 2-0 | 1986 World Cup qualification |
| 19 | 18 August 1985 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Kenya | 3-0 | 3-0 | 1986 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 20 | 6 October 1985 | El Menzah, Tunis, Tunisia | Tunisia | 1-1 | 1-4 | 1986 World Cup qualification |
| 21 | 18 October 1985 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Tunisia | 1-0 | 3-0 | 1986 World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 14 March 1986 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | Cameroon | 1-0 | 2-3 | 1986 African Cup of Nations |
| 23 | 27 March 1987 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Tunisia | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1988 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 24 | 7 January 1989 | 19 Mai 1956, Annaba, Algeria | Zimbabwe | 3-0 | 3-0 | 1990 World Cup qualification |
| 25 | 25 June 1989 | National Sports Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 2-0 | 2-1 | 1990 World Cup qualification |
| 26 | 25 August 1989 | 19 Mai 1956, Annaba, Algeria | Ivory Coast | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1990 World Cup qualification |
| 27 | 2 March 1990 | 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria | Nigeria | 1-0 | 5-1 | 1990 African Cup of Nations |
| 28 | 2-0 |
7. Honors
Rabah Madjer's illustrious career was marked by numerous team and individual accolades, reflecting his significant impact on both club and international football.
7.1. Club honors
- NA Hussein Dey**
- Algerian Cup: 1978-79
- African Cup Winners' Cup: Runner-up 1978
- FC Porto**
- Primeira Liga: 1985-86, 1987-88, 1989-90
- Taça de Portugal: 1987-88, 1990-91
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1986, 1990
- European Cup: 1986-87
- Intercontinental Cup: 1987
- European Super Cup: 1987
7.2. International honors
- Algeria**
- Africa Cup of Nations: 1990
- Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1991
- African Games: 1978
7.3. Individual honors
- European Cup Best Goal Scorer: 1987-88 (4 goals)
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 1982, 1990
- African Footballer of the Year: 1987
- Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player of the Match Award: 1987
- Best Player of the Africa Cup of Nations: 1990
- MasterCard African Team of the 20th Century: 1998
- IFFHS World Player of the Century #62: 2000
- Arab Footballer of the 20th century: 2004
- Algerian Footballer of the 20th century: 2009 (shared with Lakhdar Belloumi)
- Algerian Footballer of the Year: Several awards
- African Footballer of the 20th century: Fifth place
- Golden Foot Legends Award: 2011
- IFFHS Legends: 2016
8. Impact and legacy
Rabah Madjer's impact on Algerian and African football is profound and enduring, solidifying his status as a national hero. His iconic heel-kick goal in the 1987 European Cup final not only secured a historic victory for FC Porto but also became a symbol of his innovative style and creativity on the field, earning him the moniker "Heel Magician." This moment, alongside his decisive goal in the Intercontinental Cup, established him as a player capable of performing on the biggest stages.
Beyond his club achievements, Madjer's leadership and goal-scoring for the Algeria national team, particularly his crucial role in their 1982 World Cup upset against West Germany and their triumph in the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, inspired a generation of Algerian footballers and fans. He remains the nation's top goalscorer with 28 international goals. His individual accolades, including the African Footballer of the Year award, further underscore his exceptional talent and influence across the continent.
Madjer's post-playing career as a coach and analyst, and his role as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, demonstrate his continued dedication to football and his broader positive social impact. His legacy is not just defined by his trophies and goals, but by his pioneering spirit, his unique flair, and his lasting inspiration for aspiring footballers in Algeria and throughout Africa.