Boualem Khoukhi

Boualem Khoukhi
	Khoukhi with Al Arabi in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Boualem Khoukhi
Date of birth	9 July 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	Bou Ismail, Algeria
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defender / Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Al Sadd
Number	16
Youth career
2007–2009	JSM Chéraga
Senior career*
Years	Team
2009–2017	Al Arabi
2017–	Al Sadd
International career‡
2013	Qatar B
2013–	Qatar
Medal record
Representing Qatar
Men's Football
AFC Asian Cup
FIFA Arab Cup
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 September 2024 (UTC); ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 January 2024 (UTC)

Boualem Khoukhi (Arabic: بوعلام خوخي; born 9 July 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Al Sadd in the Qatar Stars League. Born in Algeria, he represented the Qatar national team.

Club career

Youth career

A pure product of the junior ranks of Algeria's JSM Chéraga, Khoukhi made his debut for the senior team in the 2009–10 season.^[3] He struggled in his first season, but his career was soon revived when Farid Zemiti was hired as the head coach of the club. He became integrated into the first team, playing alongside future Algeria international Islam Slimani, and many Algerian clubs were alleged to be interested in the services of Khoukhi, including USM El Harrach.

He soon received an offer from Al Shamal in Qatar, which he accepted. However, after landing in Qatar, Al Arabi head coach Uli Stielike believed Khoukhi had exceptional potential and offered him a trial at the club. He accepted the trial and was offered a contract deal shortly after.^[3]

Al Arabi (2009–2017)

Khoukhi soon earned a starting spot in Al Arabi's first team after his initial arrival in November 2009.

On 5 September 2010, he started for Al Arabi in the final of the 2010 Sheikh Jassem Cup against Lekhwiya, with Al Arabi winning 1–0.^[4]

He received a loan offer from Saudi club Al Ittihad on 10 January 2014 after his performances in the WAFF Championship. He also received a transfer offer from Japanese side Júbilo Iwata, a club coached by former Al Arabi coach Péricles Chamusca.^[5] These offers came after reports that Khoukhi was planning to leave Al Arabi.^[6] Shortly after allegations of planning to move to another club, he silenced the rumors by signing a contract renewal with Al Arabi.

Al Sadd (2017–present)

In July 2017, Khoukhi joined Al Sadd. In July 2019, Al-Gharafa announced signing him on a four-year deal but Al Sadd denied the transfer.^[7]

International career

Algeria

Khoukhi was born and raised in Algeria. On 9 November 2010, Khoukhi was called up for the first time to the Algeria under–23 national team for a pair of friendlies against Tunisia.^[8] The Qatar Football Association attempted to naturalize Khoukhi shortly after he arrived in Qatar, however, he refused and said that he would not be naturalized for any amount of money. He stated his desire was to play with the Algeria senior national team.^[3] Subsequently, he received Qatari citizenship in order to assist in his club's foreign player quota.

Qatar

Despite his call up to Algeria's Olympic team, he was called up to the Qatar B team on 13 November 2013 by compatriot Djamel Belmadi.^[9] When questioned about Khoukhi's call-up to the squad, Belmadi said that Khoukhi was naturalized prior to his call-up in order for his team, Al Arabi, to overcome the foreign player quota.^[10] Belmadi stated he was surprised when the QFA revealed Khoukhi was eligible to be called up to the Qatar national team. He made his official debut for the team on 25 December in the 2014 WAFF Championship in a 1–0 win against Palestine.^[11]

In the next match on 31 December 2013 against Saudi Arabia, who were fielding their Olympic squad, Khoukhi scored a brace and attained an assist to give his team a 4–1 win.^[12] On 4 January 2014, Khoukhi helped Qatar, once again, netting a brace against Kuwait to send Qatar to the finals.

In the final of the 2014 WAFF Championship, Khoukhi scored another brace defeating Jordan 2–0. This would bring his final goal tally to six thus becoming the tournament's top goalscorer and being lauded by the Qatar Football Association as one of the key-men to Qatar's 2015 AFC Asian Cup campaign in the future.^[13]

In their opening match of 2019 Copa America Khouki scored in Qatar's 2–2 draw with Paraguay.^[14]

International goals

Scores and results list Qatar's goal tally first.^[15]

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	31 December 2013	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Saudi Arabia	1–0	4–1	2014 WAFF Championship
2.	31 December 2013	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Saudi Arabia	3–1	4–1
3.	4 January 2014	Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Kuwait	1–0	3–0
4.	4 January 2014	Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Kuwait	2–0	3–0
5.	7 January 2014	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Jordan	1–0	2–0
6.	7 January 2014	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Jordan	2–0	2–0
7.	6 November 2014	Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar	North Korea	1–0	3–1	Friendly
8.	27 November 2014	King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	2–1	2–1	22nd Arabian Gulf Cup
9.	3 September 2015	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Bhutan	11–0	15–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.	3 September 2015	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Bhutan	13–0	15–0
11.	13 October 2015	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Maldives	1–0	4–0
12.	13 October 2015	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Maldives	3–0	4–0
13.	10 November 2016	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Russia	1–1	2–1	Friendly
14.	19 November 2018	Kehrwegstadion, Eupen, Belgium	Iceland	2–2	2–2	Friendly
15.	13 January 2019	Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates	North Korea	3–0	6–0	2019 AFC Asian Cup
16.	29 January 2019	Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	United Arab Emirates	1–0	4–0	2019 AFC Asian Cup
17.	5 September 2019	Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Afghanistan	6–0	6–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
18.	2 December 2019	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar	United Arab Emirates	4–2	4–2	24th Arabian Gulf Cup
19.	10 December 2021	Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar	United Arab Emirates	3–0	5–0	2021 FIFA Arab Cup
20.	26 March 2022	Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	Bulgaria	2–1	2–1	Friendly