Moussa Saïb

Moussa Saïb
Moussa Saïb
Born	March 6, 1969 (age 57); Algeria
Occupation(s)	Footballer, football manager
Years active	1980s–2010s
Known for	Algerian international footballer, first Algerian in Premier League, football manager

Moussa Saïb (; born 6 March 1969) is a former Algerian footballer who has transitioned into a managerial role.

Club career

Saïb started his professional journey with Jeunesse Sportive de Tiaret before transferring to JS Kabylie, where he played an instrumental part in securing the 1990 African Champions League title. In 1992, he made a move to French side AJ Auxerre for an undisclosed amount. In May 1997, Arsène Wenger, then manager of Arsenal, sought to sign Saïb along with Murat Yakın in a deal valued at £7 million; however, this transfer did not materialize. Subsequently, Saïb joined Spanish outfit Valencia for a fee of £3 million. The following year, he signed for English club Tottenham Hotspur at a cost of £2.3 million, becoming the first Algerian player in the Premier League. During the 1997–98 season, he played a significant role in Tottenham's fight against relegation by scoring in their vital 6–2 victory over Wimbledon.

International career

Operating primarily as a midfielder, Saïb captained the Algeria national team in the early 1990s and led them to triumph in the 1990 African Nations Cup.

Coaching career

On 18 August 2007, Saïb took on the managerial position at JS Kabylie. After guiding the club to win the Algerian league title in June 2008, he departed to coach Saudi Arabian side Al-Watani. He made a return to JS Kabylie as manager on 27 June 2011 but was dismissed from his role on 1 September 2011.