Antar Yahia
Encyclopedia
Antar Yahia (born 21 March 1982 in Mulhouse
, France
) is an Algeria
n professional footballer who currently plays as a defender for Saudi side Al Nassr
and the Algerian national team
.
Yahia is a former French youth international
having played for both the French Under-16 and Under-18's for a small period of time during 1998 up until 2000. Yahia was the first footballer to profit from the 2004 change in FIFA eligibility rules
as he had played as a French youth international. After his switch of national allegiance he was called up to the Algeria Under-23 side, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 win against Ghana in an Olympic Games qualifier on 2 January 2004. A few days later he was called up to a training camp held in Algiers
in preparation of the 2004 African Nations Cup.
Yahia alongside Karim Ziani
and Faouzi Chaouchi
is considered to be a national hero by many Algeria
ns as he was the scorer of the goal that put them into their first World Cup
finals since 1986 at the expense of bitter rivals Egypt
, he struck in the fortieth minute of the play-off by scoring a Marco van Basten-esque goal.
to Fatima Zohra and Boussaha Yahia, a welder by profession, both of Algeria
n, Chaoui
descent. His parents emigrated to Alsace
from Algeria from the village of Sedrata
in the Aurès region of Algeria, which is located in the eastern part of the country. In 1985, as a child Yahia and his parents decided to move to Algeria
as they found it difficult to cope in France
. They lived in Algeria
briefly before returning to France
. Yahia is married to Karima Ziani who is the twin sister of fellow Algerian football player Karim Ziani
He was introduced to the game at the age of 10, when he decided to visit his elder brothers who were playing football. He fell in love with the game and the rest was history. Yahia joined the junior team of Racing Club de Belfort, a club in his neighbourhood. He later joined FC Sochaux training centre three years later.
in 2001 to Corsican side SC Bastia
. He made his senior debut on the 16 January 2002 against Olympique Lyon, replacing Cédric Uras
in the forty-third minute. After four successful years on Corsica, Yahia was transferred to OGC Nice
.
after the relegation of SC Bastia
. In the first season he played most of the games but at the end he became a substitute. So he decided to move on to another club.
club Leeds United and German
side VfL Bochum
were interested in Yahia. He did some training exercises at both clubs and both wanted to buy him. Yahia decided to move to the club from the Bundesliga
. On January 30, 2007 he played his first Bundesliga
match for VfL Bochum
against Bayern Munich In a short period he became an important player at the club and had a safe place in the central defense. When the loan contract was expired VfL Bochum
bought Yahia for 800.000 Euro. He has got a contract until 2011 at the club and earned on 4 January 2010 the Algerian Player of the Year 2009 award.
When VfL Bochum
were relegated at the end of the 2009-10 season, Yahia revealed that he would like to leave the club during the summer transfer window, following the World Cup declaring "Indeed, I have decided to leave Bochum" as "I can't play at a lower level". He mentioned that he was aware of interest from clubs in France
, but would make his decision after the World Cup.
On 13 October 2010, Yahia agreed a new contract with VfL Bochum
that would keep him at the club until 30 June 2014.
. On 1 August 2011, the move was made official with Yahia signing a two year contract with the club.
|2001-02||rowspan="4"|Bastia
||rowspan="6"|Ligue 1
||6||0||2||0||1||0||9||0
|-
|2002-03||23||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||24||0
|-
|2003-04||18||0||1||0||1||0||20||0
|-
|2004-05||31||2||1||0||1||0||33||2
|-
|2005-06||rowspan="2"|Nice
||21||0||1||0||3||0||25||0
|-
|2006-07||9||0||1||0||1||0||11||0
|-
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="3"|Bochum
||rowspan="3"|Bundesliga
||16||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||16||1
|-
|2007–08||33||2||2||0||colspan="2"|—||35||2
|-
|2008–09||24||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||26||1
|-
|2008–09
||rowspan="2"|Bochum II
||rowspan="2"|Regionalliga West
||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1||0
|-
|2009–10
||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1||0
|-
|2009–10
||rowspan="2"|Bochum
||Bundesliga
||18||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||20||1
|-
|2010–11
||2. Bundesliga
||28||2||0||0||colspan="2"|—||28||2
108||2||6||0||8||0||122||2
121||7||6||0||0||0||127||7
229||9||12||0||8||0||249||9
in 1998 as he was called up to participate in the UEFA European Under-16 Championship
(Qualifying round). He made his debut on the 7th of October 1998 against Switzerland, with the final result being 3-3. This was his only appearance for the France-Under 16
as they were eliminated from the competition as they failed to qualify to the final tournament (group stage).
Yahia was called up to play for the France-Under 18
squad in 2000, a time when the team was trying to qualify for the 2001 European Championship to be held in Finland
in July 2001. Yahia played his first game alongside Nadir Belhadj
against Germany which they won 4-2. In his second game the team had to win if they had any chance of qualifying for the European Championship, they failed to beat the Netherlands
and by doing so they were unable to qualify, the final score against the Netherlands
was 2-1. The France-Under 18
side finished bottom of Group 9, which consisted of France
, Germany
and the Netherlands
.
Yahia was the first footballer to profit from the change in FIFA's rules on international eligibility when he made his debut for Algeria in an Olympic Games qualifier against Ghana. He managed to score the only goal of the 1-0 win over Ghana with a 19th minute header for the Algerian under-23 side in Blida. Saâdane
promoted Yahia to the senior national team after his impressive performance on his debut for Algeria's under-23 side in the Olympic qualifier against Ghana for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Yahia started his senior international career on the 15th of January 2004 against Mali in a friendly in preparation for the 2004 African Cup of Nations
hosted in Tunisia
. During this continental competition Yahia played a part in all the group games including the 2-1 victory over Egypt
and the 1-1 draw against Cameroon
, the team progressed from group C alongside Cameroon
to the quarter final where Algeria
lost to Morocco
3-1 in extra time.
In November 2009, the Algeria
n team flew out to Cairo
for the final world cup qualifier game, when travelling from the airport to the hotel the coach came under attack as Egypt
ians hurled rocks at the bus, shattering windows and showering the players and staff with broken glass several players were reported to be injured Yahia was understandably furious when they finally arrived to the hotel and said the following “They struck our bus with large bricks,” said a distraught Antar Yahia. "Players have open head wounds with blood. We were lying down in the bus. All the windows were broken. It makes you fear for your life. As long as our lives are not assured we’re afraid to play this match." Yahia then went on to say that the security guards dispatched for the team did nothing in response to the attacks. “They let them do it. You can’t launch five kilo rocks from 50 meters. They let them do it and watched. It’s shameful. In our home game we welcomed them with flowers,” he continued.
The game was not cancelled and went a head as planned, Yahia had played the whole game but it just wasn't meant to be as Egypt
scored a second goal in the final minutes of the game the final result was 2-0 to Egypt
which meant they had the same goal difference and points. So a tie-breaker had to be played in Omdurman
, Sudan
. On the 18th of November 2009 Yahia scored in the 40th minute giving Algeria
a 1-0 lead against the Pharaohs, in the 67th minute Yahia went off injured but the only goal scored in the play off by Yahia against Egypt was enough to secure Algeria's place in the 2010 World Cup.
In December 2009, Yahia was selected by Saâdane
to play in the 2010 African Cup of Nations
hosted in Angola, but due to an injury Yahia did not play any of the group games.
During Algeria's 2010 FIFA World Cup first round match against the United States, Yahia was ejected in the final minutes of the game after receiving his second yellow card of the match.
|2004||13||0
|-
|2005||3||2
|-
|2006||4||0
|-
|2007||6||1
|-
|2008||8||1
|-
|2009||6||1
|-
|2010||8||0
|-
!Total||48||5
|}
in his famous game in Sudan; Algeria - Egypt: " I aimed low, he caught it, I shot it up high, he caught it... I hit it where the devil, he couldn't catch it."
, Angola
Yahia was presented the award of best Arab player of 2009 by winning a poll created by the Arab television channel MBC
. One million people participated in the poll, Yahia gained the majority of the votes due to his astonishing performance and goal against Egypt in the World Cup play-off match with 48% outperforming his competitors respectively, Egyptian Mohamed Aboutrika came second, with 20.25% of votes while Algeria
n Rafik Saifi
gained 11% and was placed third overall in the poll. The award handing over ceremony was held in the place of the Algeria
n delegation residence; in Continental Hotel, in the presence of all players and staff.
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is an Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n professional footballer who currently plays as a defender for Saudi side Al Nassr
Al Nassr FC
Al Nassr FC is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Riyadh. Formed in 1955 the club plays its home games at King Fahd Stadium and Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Its home colours are yellow and blue.-History:...
and the Algerian national team
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
.
Yahia is a former French youth international
France national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
having played for both the French Under-16 and Under-18's for a small period of time during 1998 up until 2000. Yahia was the first footballer to profit from the 2004 change in FIFA eligibility rules
FIFA eligibility rules
FIFA eligibility rules describe the criteria that are used to determine whether an association football player is allowed to represent a particular country in officially recognised international competitions and friendly matches. Eligibility rules are implemented and maintained by FIFA, the...
as he had played as a French youth international. After his switch of national allegiance he was called up to the Algeria Under-23 side, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 win against Ghana in an Olympic Games qualifier on 2 January 2004. A few days later he was called up to a training camp held in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
in preparation of the 2004 African Nations Cup.
Yahia alongside Karim Ziani
Karim Ziani
Karim Koceila Yanis Ziani is an Algerian professional footballer. He currently plays as a creative midfielder for the Qatari club Al-Jaish on loan from German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg, and for the Algerian national team...
and Faouzi Chaouchi
Faouzi Chaouchi
Faouzi Chaouchi is an Algerian professional football player who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 club MC Alger and the Algerian national team....
is considered to be a national hero by many Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
ns as he was the scorer of the goal that put them into their first World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals since 1986 at the expense of bitter rivals Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, he struck in the fortieth minute of the play-off by scoring a Marco van Basten-esque goal.
Early life
Yahia was born in MulhouseMulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
to Fatima Zohra and Boussaha Yahia, a welder by profession, both of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n, Chaoui
Chaoui
The Shawia people, or Chaouis are a Berber people who live mainly in the Aurès, Nememcha and Belezma Region in the Aurès Mountains, a large part of eastern Algeria known in ancient times as Numidia...
descent. His parents emigrated to Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
from Algeria from the village of Sedrata
Sedrata
Sedrara is a municipality in Souk Ahras Province, Algeria, capital of Sedrata District. It has a population of 91.297 as of the 2008 census, which gives it 11 seats in the PMA. Its municipal code is 4102 and postal code is 41200. It is located in the north east of the country, close to the border...
in the Aurès region of Algeria, which is located in the eastern part of the country. In 1985, as a child Yahia and his parents decided to move to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
as they found it difficult to cope in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They lived in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
briefly before returning to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Yahia is married to Karima Ziani who is the twin sister of fellow Algerian football player Karim Ziani
Karim Ziani
Karim Koceila Yanis Ziani is an Algerian professional footballer. He currently plays as a creative midfielder for the Qatari club Al-Jaish on loan from German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg, and for the Algerian national team...
He was introduced to the game at the age of 10, when he decided to visit his elder brothers who were playing football. He fell in love with the game and the rest was history. Yahia joined the junior team of Racing Club de Belfort, a club in his neighbourhood. He later joined FC Sochaux training centre three years later.
Club career
At the age of 14 Yahia joined the football boarding school of FC Sochaux (France).SC Bastia
Yahia started his professional career when he was loaned out by InternazionaleF.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in 2001 to Corsican side SC Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
. He made his senior debut on the 16 January 2002 against Olympique Lyon, replacing Cédric Uras
Cédric Uras
Cédric Uras is a footballer, currently playing for AC Ajaccio.-External links:...
in the forty-third minute. After four successful years on Corsica, Yahia was transferred to OGC Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
.
OGC Nice
Yahia signed a four-year contract in the summer of 2005 with NiceOGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
after the relegation of SC Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
. In the first season he played most of the games but at the end he became a substitute. So he decided to move on to another club.
VfL Bochum
In 2007 EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Leeds United and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
side VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
were interested in Yahia. He did some training exercises at both clubs and both wanted to buy him. Yahia decided to move to the club from the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
. On January 30, 2007 he played his first Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
match for VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
against Bayern Munich In a short period he became an important player at the club and had a safe place in the central defense. When the loan contract was expired VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
bought Yahia for 800.000 Euro. He has got a contract until 2011 at the club and earned on 4 January 2010 the Algerian Player of the Year 2009 award.
When VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
were relegated at the end of the 2009-10 season, Yahia revealed that he would like to leave the club during the summer transfer window, following the World Cup declaring "Indeed, I have decided to leave Bochum" as "I can't play at a lower level". He mentioned that he was aware of interest from clubs in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but would make his decision after the World Cup.
On 13 October 2010, Yahia agreed a new contract with VfL Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
that would keep him at the club until 30 June 2014.
Al Nassr
On 17 July 2011, despite still having three years remaining on his contract with Bochum, Yahia agreed to join Saudi club Al NassrAl Nassr FC
Al Nassr FC is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Riyadh. Formed in 1955 the club plays its home games at King Fahd Stadium and Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Its home colours are yellow and blue.-History:...
. On 1 August 2011, the move was made official with Yahia signing a two year contract with the club.
Statistics
|-|2001-02||rowspan="4"|Bastia
SC Bastia
Sporting Club de Bastia is a French association football club based in Bastia on the island of Corsica. The club currently plays in the Championnat National, the third division of French football. Bastia previously had stints in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
||rowspan="6"|Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||6||0||2||0||1||0||9||0
|-
|2002-03||23||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||24||0
|-
|2003-04||18||0||1||0||1||0||20||0
|-
|2004-05||31||2||1||0||1||0||33||2
|-
|2005-06||rowspan="2"|Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
||21||0||1||0||3||0||25||0
|-
|2006-07||9||0||1||0||1||0||11||0
|-
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="3"|Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
||rowspan="3"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||16||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||16||1
|-
|2007–08||33||2||2||0||colspan="2"|—||35||2
|-
|2008–09||24||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||26||1
|-
|2008–09
2008–09 Fußball-Regionalliga
-From Nord:*Rot-Weiß Ahlen*Rot-Weiß Oberhausen-From Nord:*Rot-Weiß Ahlen(Nord Champions)*Rot-Weiß Oberhausen-From Nord:*Rot-Weiß Ahlen(Nord Champions)*Rot-Weiß Oberhausen(Nord Runners-Up-From Süd:*FSV Frankfurt(Süd Champions)*FC Ingolstadt 04(Süd Runners-Up)-From Nord:*Fortuna Düsseldorf*1...
||rowspan="2"|Bochum II
VfL Bochum II
VfL Bochum II is the second team of German football club VfL Bochum.-Overview:...
||rowspan="2"|Regionalliga West
Regionalliga West
The Regionalliga West is the fourth tier of the German football league system since its introduction in 2008. It covers the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and North Rhine-Westphalia and is one of three leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga...
||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Fußball-Regionalliga
The 2009–10 Regionalliga season is the sixteenth since its re-establishment after German reunification and the second as a fourth-level league within the German football league system. It is contested in three divisions with eighteen teams each...
||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010...
||rowspan="2"|Bochum
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum, is a German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding to World War II:...
||Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||18||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||20||1
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2010–11 2. Fußball-Bundesliga was the 37th season of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's second tier of its football league system. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 and ended with the last games on 15 May 2011...
||2. Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
||28||2||0||0||colspan="2"|—||28||2
108||2||6||0||8||0||122||2
121||7||6||0||0||0||127||7
229||9||12||0||8||0||249||9
International career
Yahia began his youth international career with FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1998 as he was called up to participate in the UEFA European Under-16 Championship
1999 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship
The 1999 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship was the 17th edition of UEFA's European Under-16 Football Championship. Czech Republic hosted the championship, during April 24 - May 7, 1999...
(Qualifying round). He made his debut on the 7th of October 1998 against Switzerland, with the final result being 3-3. This was his only appearance for the France-Under 16
France national under-16 football team
The France national under-16 football team is the national under-16 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team previously competed in the annual UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship before it was converted into an under-17 competition in 2002...
as they were eliminated from the competition as they failed to qualify to the final tournament (group stage).
Yahia was called up to play for the France-Under 18
France national under-18 football team
The France national under-18 football team is the national under-18 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team serves as a feeder team to the under-19 team as its matches aren't competitive...
squad in 2000, a time when the team was trying to qualify for the 2001 European Championship to be held in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in July 2001. Yahia played his first game alongside Nadir Belhadj
Nadir Belhadj
Nadir Belhadj is an Algerian professional football player who currently plays as a left wingback or as a left winger for 11-time Qatar league champions Al Sadd and the Algerian national team....
against Germany which they won 4-2. In his second game the team had to win if they had any chance of qualifying for the European Championship, they failed to beat the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and by doing so they were unable to qualify, the final score against the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
was 2-1. The France-Under 18
France national under-18 football team
The France national under-18 football team is the national under-18 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team serves as a feeder team to the under-19 team as its matches aren't competitive...
side finished bottom of Group 9, which consisted of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Yahia was the first footballer to profit from the change in FIFA's rules on international eligibility when he made his debut for Algeria in an Olympic Games qualifier against Ghana. He managed to score the only goal of the 1-0 win over Ghana with a 19th minute header for the Algerian under-23 side in Blida. Saâdane
Rabah Saadane
Rabah Saâdane is a retired Algerian professional football player whose playing career was abruptly interrupted at the age of 27 by a car accident...
promoted Yahia to the senior national team after his impressive performance on his debut for Algeria's under-23 side in the Olympic qualifier against Ghana for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Yahia started his senior international career on the 15th of January 2004 against Mali in a friendly in preparation for the 2004 African Cup of Nations
2004 African Cup of Nations
The 2004 African Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
hosted in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. During this continental competition Yahia played a part in all the group games including the 2-1 victory over Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the 1-1 draw against Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, the team progressed from group C alongside Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
to the quarter final where Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
lost to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
3-1 in extra time.
In November 2009, the Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n team flew out to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
for the final world cup qualifier game, when travelling from the airport to the hotel the coach came under attack as Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ians hurled rocks at the bus, shattering windows and showering the players and staff with broken glass several players were reported to be injured Yahia was understandably furious when they finally arrived to the hotel and said the following “They struck our bus with large bricks,” said a distraught Antar Yahia. "Players have open head wounds with blood. We were lying down in the bus. All the windows were broken. It makes you fear for your life. As long as our lives are not assured we’re afraid to play this match." Yahia then went on to say that the security guards dispatched for the team did nothing in response to the attacks. “They let them do it. You can’t launch five kilo rocks from 50 meters. They let them do it and watched. It’s shameful. In our home game we welcomed them with flowers,” he continued.
The game was not cancelled and went a head as planned, Yahia had played the whole game but it just wasn't meant to be as Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
scored a second goal in the final minutes of the game the final result was 2-0 to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
which meant they had the same goal difference and points. So a tie-breaker had to be played in Omdurman
Omdurman
Omdurman is the second largest city in Sudan and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the River Nile, opposite the capital, Khartoum. Omdurman has a population of 2,395,159 and is the national centre of commerce...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. On the 18th of November 2009 Yahia scored in the 40th minute giving Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
a 1-0 lead against the Pharaohs, in the 67th minute Yahia went off injured but the only goal scored in the play off by Yahia against Egypt was enough to secure Algeria's place in the 2010 World Cup.
In December 2009, Yahia was selected by Saâdane
Rabah Saadane
Rabah Saâdane is a retired Algerian professional football player whose playing career was abruptly interrupted at the age of 27 by a car accident...
to play in the 2010 African Cup of Nations
2010 African Cup of Nations
The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football championship of Africa...
hosted in Angola, but due to an injury Yahia did not play any of the group games.
During Algeria's 2010 FIFA World Cup first round match against the United States, Yahia was ejected in the final minutes of the game after receiving his second yellow card of the match.
National team statistics
|-|2004||13||0
|-
|2005||3||2
|-
|2006||4||0
|-
|2007||6||1
|-
|2008||8||1
|-
|2009||6||1
|-
|2010||8||0
|-
!Total||48||5
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first. "Score" column indicates the score after the player's goal.
| Goal # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 June 2005 | Stade Ahmed Zabana Stade Ahmed Zabana Stade Ahmed Zabana is a multi-purpose stadium in Oran, Algeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the home ground of MC Oran. The stadium holds 40,000... , Oran Oran Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest... (Algeria Algeria Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab... ) |
1-0 | 2-2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Africa. 51 teams took part , competing for 5 World Cup places.The qualification was composed of two Rounds... |
|
| 2 | 5 June 2007 | Camp Nou Camp Nou Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957.... , Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... (Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... ) |
1-1 | 3-4 | Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 3 | 20 June 2008 | Stade Mustapha Tchaker Stade Mustapha Tchaker Stade Mustapha Tchaker is a multi-purpose stadium in Blida, Algeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people.* Not to be confused with the old soocer stadium Stade Freres Brakni.- External links :*... , Blida Blida Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e... (Algeria Algeria Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab... ) |
1-0 | 1-0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa... |
|
| 4 | 5 September 2008 | Stade Mustapha Tchaker Stade Mustapha Tchaker Stade Mustapha Tchaker is a multi-purpose stadium in Blida, Algeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people.* Not to be confused with the old soocer stadium Stade Freres Brakni.- External links :*... , Blida Blida Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e... (Algeria Algeria Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab... ) |
3-1 | 3-2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa... |
|
| 5 | 18 November 2009 | Al Merreikh Stadium, Omdurman Omdurman Omdurman is the second largest city in Sudan and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the River Nile, opposite the capital, Khartoum. Omdurman has a population of 2,395,159 and is the national centre of commerce... (Sudan Sudan Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the... ) |
1-0 | 1-0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa... |
|
| U23 International goal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 2 January 2004 | Stade Mustapha Tchaker Stade Mustapha Tchaker Stade Mustapha Tchaker is a multi-purpose stadium in Blida, Algeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people.* Not to be confused with the old soocer stadium Stade Freres Brakni.- External links :*... , Blida Blida Blida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e... , Algeria |
 Ghana U23Ghana national football team The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association... |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2004 Olympics football tournament qualification |
Famous quotes
Commenting on his goal against Essam El-HadaryEssam El-Hadary
Essam El-Hadary is an Egyptian goalkeeper, playing for Sudan Premier League side El-Merreikh.-Club career:Swiss club FC Sion announced that they had signed El-Hadary to a four-year contract in February 2008, despite claims to the contrary from his club Al-Ahly...
in his famous game in Sudan; Algeria - Egypt: " I aimed low, he caught it, I shot it up high, he caught it... I hit it where the devil, he couldn't catch it."
Honours
On Saturday the 16th of January 2010 in LuandaLuanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
Yahia was presented the award of best Arab player of 2009 by winning a poll created by the Arab television channel MBC
Middle East Broadcasting Center
The Middle East Broadcasting Center Group is the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World which was launched in London in 1991 and later moved to its headquarters in Dubai in 2002. MBC Group provides multiple channels of information, interaction and entertainment...
. One million people participated in the poll, Yahia gained the majority of the votes due to his astonishing performance and goal against Egypt in the World Cup play-off match with 48% outperforming his competitors respectively, Egyptian Mohamed Aboutrika came second, with 20.25% of votes while Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n Rafik Saifi
Rafik Saïfi
Rafik Saïfi is an Algerian professional football player who is currently playing for Amiens SC in the Championnat National.-Characteristics:...
gained 11% and was placed third overall in the poll. The award handing over ceremony was held in the place of the Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n delegation residence; in Continental Hotel, in the presence of all players and staff.