Hamer Bouazza
Hamer Bouazza | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 22, 1985 Évry, Essonne, France |
| Occupation | Professional footballer (retired) |
| Years active | 2003–2017 |
| Known for | Playing as a left winger; Algerian international footballer; participation in 2010 and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
Hamer Bouazza (; born 22 February 1985) is a retired professional football player who operated mainly as a left winger.
His playing career was predominantly centered in England, with additional periods spent in Turkey, France, Cyprus, Spain, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Between 2007 and 2013, Bouazza was an Algerian international, participating in the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments held in 2010 (Angola) and 2013 (South Africa).
Early life
Born on 22 February 1985 in Évry, Essonne, France, Hamer Bouazza was raised alongside his parents and four siblings. Reflecting on his childhood in October 2005, he stated: "There were times I skipped school because all I wanted was to play football. It was always football. I began playing at nine years old and at 15 I earned an opportunity with Auxerre. It didn’t work out, so after one year I returned to Évry."
Watford
At the age of 16 in 2003, Bouazza relocated to England after securing a scholarship at Watford following a successful trial.
He made his first-team debut on 7 February 2004, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute during a 2–2 draw against Sunderland at Vicarage Road. A week later, he netted on his first start in a 2–0 victory over Preston North End. During the 2003–04 campaign, he featured nine times. The subsequent season saw him participate in 28 league matches and eight cup games, scoring three goals. In the 2005–06 season, despite facing competition from Darius Henderson, Marlon King, and Ashley Young and suffering a metatarsal fracture, he managed three goals across nineteen appearances, including one in Watford’s 4–1 triumph over Championship runners-up Sheffield United.
On 6 October 2005, Bouazza was loaned out to League One side Swindon Town initially for one month; this was later extended until year-end. He scored three goals in fifteen matches during his loan spell.
Bouazza sustained a metatarsal injury during a match against Derby County on 4 March 2006 and required surgery. On 21 May 2006, he came off the bench in Watford’s 3–0 win over Leeds United in the Championship play-off final held at the Millennium Stadium.
Throughout the Premier League season of 2006–07, Bouazza started most league fixtures as a left winger, scoring five goals and receiving Watford’s "Young Player of the Season" accolade.
Fulham
On 8 August 2007, Bouazza secured a four-year deal with Premier League club Fulham for an initial fee of £3 million, potentially increasing to £4 million depending on appearances and league status. He made his debut in a 2–1 loss to Arsenal on 12 August but dislocated his shoulder after three appearances during a match against Middlesbrough on 18 August. After recovering over several weeks, he scored his inaugural goal for Fulham from close range via a free kick in a high-scoring 3–3 draw against Manchester City at Craven Cottage on 22 September 2007. He completed the 2007–08 season with twenty-two appearances and one goal.
On 9 August 2008, Bouazza moved to Championship club Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan deal. He made his debut the same day as an 83rd-minute substitute during a 3–0 victory over Swansea City at The Valley. His first goal for Charlton arrived on 23 August in a home match where they defeated Reading 4–2.
After making twenty-seven appearances and scoring four goals for Charlton, Fulham recalled Bouazza on 8 January 2009 and promptly loaned him to another Championship side, Birmingham City, for the remainder of that season. He debuted for Birmingham in a goalless draw against Cardiff City on 17 January and scored his first goal for them on 14 March during a 2–0 win over Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium. Over sixteen appearances with Birmingham, Bouazza contributed to their promotion as Championship runners-up to the Premier League.
Sivasspor
On 18 August 2009, Bouazza completed a transfer to Turkish Süper Lig side Sivasspor. His tenure in Sivas was brief, lasting just five days, during which he appeared in a single match—a 3–0 home loss against Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League play-off stage. By 23 August, Bouazza and Sivasspor mutually agreed to terminate his contract, with the player expressing a desire not to remain in Turkey. Sivasspor’s manager Bulent Uygun explained that releasing Bouazza was intended to preserve the squad’s morale.
Blackpool
Bouazza signed with Championship outfit Blackpool on 1 September 2009, agreeing to a one-year deal with an option for an additional year. He made his first appearance on 12 September as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat to Leicester City. Four days later, Bouazza made his first start during Blackpool’s 2–1 victory over Newcastle United at Bloomfield Road. His inaugural goal for the club came on 26 September when he scored a curling effort after skillfully nutmegging defender Tom Williams in a 2–0 home triumph against Peterborough United.
In January 2010, supporters voted his strike against Peterborough as Blackpool’s top goal of 2009, earning the club’s nomination for the Football League Awards’ Goal of the Year. Although Bouazza missed January due to participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, he returned in February carrying a hernia injury sustained during the tournament. He re-entered action as a substitute on 16 February and provided an assist for D.J. Campbell’s injury-time goal in a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough. At season’s conclusion, Blackpool released him.
Millwall
On 28 January 2011, Bouazza joined Millwall on loan from AC Arles-Avignon until the end of the campaign. He marked his debut on 19 February by scoring a curling free-kick shortly after coming off the bench in a 3–2 home defeat to Middlesbrough. Millwall secured his services permanently on 19 April by signing him to a two-year contract for an estimated fee of €100,000.
AC Omonia
Bouazza agreed to a one-year contract with Cypriot First Division club AC Omonia on 22 June 2012, reversing an earlier decision to reject their offer. Nevertheless, he departed just weeks later in August.
Racing Santander
In September 2012, Bouazza signed with Spanish Segunda División side Racing Santander. In December, following a narrow 1–0 loss to Sabadell, he was confronted outside his residence by masked individuals. After completing that season and his contract expiring, he trialed with Scottish club Rangers during the summer of 2013.
Later career
Bouazza made his debut for Algerian club ES Sétif in December 2013, appearing four times before moving to Championnat National outfit Red Star. Over three seasons with Red Star, primarily competing in Ligue 2 following their promotion in his first year, he played in 80 matches and scored 20 goals. In January 2017, Bouazza transferred to Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 team Étoile du Sahel.
Early career
Although born in France, Bouazza chose to represent Algeria after accepting an invitation from the Algerian Football Federation, motivated by his strong sense of national identity and familial connections. He earned his first cap for Algeria on 7 February 2007 against Libya, and netted his initial international goal in a 3–2 victory over Mali on 20 November 2007.
2010 World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
Bouazza took part mainly as a substitute during Algeria's second round in the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, including the 1–0 defeat to Senegal on 31 May 2008. His appearances were intermittent as Algeria progressed, coming off the bench in crucial encounters such as the 3–1 triumph over Egypt and victories against Zambia, which ultimately secured their spot in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
In the tense lead-up to the critical World Cup qualifying match versus Egypt in November 2009, the Algerian squad’s bus was assaulted by individuals throwing stones, resulting in injuries to three players. Bouazza avoided injury by lying low on the floor. He later referred to this event as "the most terrifying experience" and condemned the inadequate security measures, underscoring the difficulties encountered when preparing for high-pressure international matches.
2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals
In January 2010, Bouazza was included in Algeria's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals held in Angola, where the team reached the semi-finals and ultimately placed fourth.
He appeared as a substitute during the second half in Algeria’s initial two Group A fixtures at Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda: a 0–3 defeat against Malawi on 11 January, followed by a 1–0 victory over Mali three days afterward. Bouazza earned his first starting position in the final group stage match, a goalless draw with Angola on 18 January, which ensured Algeria’s progression to the quarter-finals.
On 24 January, Bouazza netted the decisive goal versus Ivory Coast, securing Algeria’s advancement to the semi-final stage. Entering as a substitute at the beginning of extra time with a tied scoreline at 2–2, his header clinched a 3–2 win for Algeria. Four days later, he remained an unused substitute during Algeria’s 0–4 semi-final defeat to Egypt but started in the third-place playoff on 30 January, where they suffered a narrow 0–1 loss to Nigeria at Ombaka National Stadium in Benguela. Throughout the tournament, Bouazza made five appearances, three coming off the bench.
Personal life
Bouazza practices Islam and observes ramadan annually by fasting throughout daylight hours. He recognizes that fasting presents challenges but stresses its significance to his religious beliefs: "I'm proud to be a Muslim... Ramadan is hard, and I try to do my best every time. You know God is there to help us; we just need to pray and believe in Him."
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Watford | 2003–04 | First Division | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2004–05 | Championship | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | – | – | 36 | 3 | |||
| 2005–06 | Championship | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 32 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 38 | 7 | |||
| Total | 83 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 13 | ||
| Swindon Town (loan) | 2005–06 | League One | 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 3 | ||||||
| Fulham | 2007–08 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | |||||||||||||
| Total | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| Charlton Athletic (loan) | 2008–09 | Championship | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 4 | ||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2008-09 | Championship | 16 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 16 | 1 | ||||
| Sivasspor | 2009-10 | Süper Lig | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Blackpool | 2009-10 | 19 |1 |0 |0 |1 |0 |colspan="2"|– |colspan="2"|– |20 |1 | ||||||||||||
| Arles-Avignon | 2010-11 | Ligue 1 |9 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |colspan="2"|– |colspan="2"|– |9 |1 | ||||||||||||
| Millwall (loan) | 2010-11 | 12 |1 |colspan="2"|– |colspan="2"|– |colspan="2"|– |colspan="2"|– |12 |1 | ||||||||||||
| Millwall | 2011-12 | 26 |2 |3 |0 |3 |1 |colspan="2"|– |colspan="2"|– |32 |3 | ||||||||||||
| "Racing de Santander" | "2012-13 Racing de Santander season" | "Segunda División" | "0"|"2"|"1"|" colspan= " - " -" -"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-"-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-| | "1" | ||||||||||
| "ES Sétif" | "2013-14 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1" | "Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1" | "0"|"1"|"0"|" colspan= " - " -" -"-"-"-"-"-"-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" | " " | ||||||||||
| "Red Star" | "2014-15 Championnat National" | "National" | "7"|"4"|"3"|" colspan= " - " -" -"-"-"-"-"-"-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" "-" | "10" | ||||||||||
| "2015-16 Ligue 2" | "Ligue 2" | "10"|"0"|"0"|"1"|"0"|" colspan= " - " -" -"-"-"-"-"-"-" "-" "-"
-"| -"36"|"10" | ||||||||||||
| "2016-17 Ligue 2" | "Ligue 2" | "3"|"1"|"0"|"1"|"0"|" colspan= " - " -" -"- "- "- "- "- "- "- "- "- "- "- "- "- "|19| | ||||||||||||
| Total | "80!"20!"5!"3!"2!"0!"0!"0!"0!"0!"87!"23" | |||||||||||||
| "Étoile Sportive du Sahel" | "2016-17 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1" | "Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1" | "1"|"1"|"0" colspan= " - " -" -" -" -" -" -" -" -" -" -" -
-|5 -|3 -|17 -|4 | |||||||||||
| "Tours FC" | "2017-18 Ligue 2" | "Ligue 2" | "0" colspanspan= " - " -" -" -" -
-| |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- | -|18 -|2 | |||||||||||
| "Tours B" | "2017-18 Championnat National 3" | "National 3" | "2" colspanspan= " - " -" -" -" -
-| |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- | -| | | |||||||||||
| "FC Fleury 91" | "2017-18 Championnat National 2" | "National 2" | "1" colspanspan= " - " -" -" -" -
-| | -| | | |||||||||||
International Career
| National Team | Year | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 2007 | 3 | 1 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | |
| Overall Total | 21 | 3 | |
- The scoreline displays Algeria's goals first; the score column reflects the match score immediately following each Bouazza goal.
| No. | Date | Stadium | Opponent | Score after goal | Final result | Tournament | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 November 2007 | Stade Robert Diochon, Rouen, France | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly match | |
| 2 | 24 January 2010 | Estádio Nacional do Chiazi, Cabinda, Angola | Template:Fb | 3–2 | 3–2 Template:Aet | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 3 | 3 September 2011 | Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Achievements
Watford
Birmingham City
- Football League Championship runner-up promotion: 2008–09
External links
- 1985 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Évry, Essonne
- Footballers from Essonne
- Algerian men's footballers
- French men's footballers
- Men's association football wingers
- Watford F.C. players
- Swindon Town F.C. players
- Fulham F.C. players
- Charlton Athletic F.C. players
- Birmingham City F.C. players
- Blackpool F.C. players
- Millwall F.C. players
- Sivasspor footballers
- Racing de Santander players
- ES Sétif players
- Évry FC players
- Red Star FC players
- Étoile Sportive du Sahel players
- FC Fleury 91 (men) players
- Premier League players
- Ligue 1 players
- Ligue 2 players
- Championnat National players
- Segunda División players
- Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 players
- Algeria men's international footballers
- 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2013 Africa Cup of Nations players
- French sportspeople of Algerian descent
- Algerian expatriate men's footballers
- French expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- Expatriate men's footballers in Tunisia
- Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
- Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
- Algerian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Tunisia
- Algerian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- French expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
- French expatriate sportspeople in England
- French expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- French expatriate sportspeople in Tunisia
- French expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Algerian Muslims
- French Muslims
- English Football League players
- 21st-century French sportsmen
- 21st-century Algerian sportsmen