Rabie Meftah
Mohamed Rabie Meftah | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 5, 1985 Algeria |
| Occupation(s) | Football coach, former professional player |
| Years active | 2004–2022 (player), 2023–2024 (coach) |
| Known for | Algerian footballer and coach |
Mohamed Rabie Meftah (born May 5, 1985) is an Algerian football coach and former professional player.
Personal life
Meftah hails from a family deeply rooted in football. His cousin Mahieddine Meftah was an Algerian international who represented JS Kabylie and USM Alger. Another relative, Rahim Meftah, also featured for both clubs as well as MO Constantine. Additionally, two cousins—Chaâbane Meftah and Jugurtha Meftah—are currently active players at JS Kabylie.
JS Kabylie
Graduating from the JS Kabylie youth academy, Meftah was promoted to the senior squad in 2004. He quickly established himself as a first-team regular, overtaking Algerian international Slimane Raho in his position. In 2008, he was named team captain, taking over from midfielder Chérif Abdeslam.
During the 2008–09 season, sports newspaper Maracana honored him as the best player in the Algerian Championnat National.
Although the club qualified for the group stage of the 2010 CAF Champions League, Meftah declared his intention to leave following the conclusion of the 2009–10 campaign.
JSM Béjaïa
On June 20, 2010, Meftah inked a one-year deal with JSM Béjaïa.
USM Alger
Shortly after, on July 12, 2010, Mohamed Rabie Meftah committed to a two-year contract with USM Alger. He made his Ligue 1 debut as a starter in a 1–0 victory over CA Batna. His inaugural goal for the club came during a 1–1 away draw against WA Tlemcen. In the 2012–13 campaign, he secured his first trophy with USM Alger by winning their maiden Algerian Cup, defeating MC Alger 1–0 in the final. Two weeks later, Meftah converted the decisive penalty in the UAFA Club Cup final against Al-Arabi SC, earning USM Alger their inaugural international title. The following season, he contributed four goals, including strikes against former side JS Kabylie and in a commanding 5–2 triumph over MC Oran, helping USM Alger capture their third league crown in the 2013–14 Ligue 1 season.
During the 2015 CAF Champions League, Meftah's team reached the continental final; however, he missed both legs due to suspension. That same year, he celebrated another league championship and tallied nine goals. On June 7, 2016, he extended his contract for an additional three years through 2020. In the 2016–17 season, Meftah earned his second Super Cup title by scoring in the victory over MC Alger. Marking a milestone on March 30, 2018, he appeared in his 300th match in Algeria’s top division and ended that season as USM Alger’s leading scorer with 11 goals—a personal record. In the 2018–19 campaign, Meftah captured his final title with the club by securing another league championship, netting a crucial late goal against CS Constantine.
On January 16, 2020, during a fixture against JS Kabylie, Meftah was involved in an on-pitch altercation that led to a three-match suspension imposed by the LFP. He subsequently issued an apology to all parties affected. On July 25, 2020, Meftah announced his exit from USM Alger after Sporting Director Antar Yahia informed him that the incoming coach did not plan to include him moving forward. Over his nine-year tenure at USM Alger, he amassed 258 appearances and scored 49 goals—making him the highest-scoring defender in the club’s history—and secured seven trophies.
NA Hussein Dey
On September 7, 2020, Meftah committed to a two-year deal with NA Hussein Dey.
AS Aïn M'lila
In October 2021, he transferred to AS Aïn M'lila, competing in the Algerian Ligue 2. He concluded his playing career following the 2021–22 season.
International career
Meftah made his first appearance for the Algerian National Team on August 15, 2006, during a friendly match against Gabon. Throughout his international tenure, he accumulated five caps. Although he was named as a backup by coach Rabah Saadane for both the 2010 African Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he was ultimately not included in the final tournament squads. Additionally, Meftah featured in four matches for the Algeria A' squad, which participates in the African Championship of Nations.
Managerial career
On April 18, 2023, Meftah took over as head coach of JSM Béjaïa, a team competing in the Algerian Inter-Régions Division, with the club positioned eighth at that time. His tenure ended in February 2024 following a series of unsatisfactory results.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| JS Kabylie | 2005–06 | National 1 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2007–08 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | |||
| 2008–09 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 6 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 28 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 38 | 3 | |||
| Total | 121 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 171 | 13 | ||
| JSM Béjaïa | 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 6 | ||
| USM Alger | 2011–12 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2012–13 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 28 | 4 | |||
| 2014–15 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 7 | ||
| 2015–16 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 26 | 9 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 11 | ||
| 2017–18 USM Alger season | 19 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | - | 33 | 2 | |||
| 2018–19 USM Alger season | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 3 | ||
| 2019–20 USM Alger season | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | - | 26 | 8 | |||
| Total | 188 | 38 | 18 | 2 | 41 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 258 | 49 | ||
| NA Hussein Dey | 2020–21 NA Hussein Dey season | Ligue 1 | 28 | 10 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 30 | 10 | ||
| Career total | 361 | 66 | 35 | 2 | 75 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 487 | 78 | ||
Honours
JS Kabylie
USM Alger
- Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1: Victories in 2013–14, 2015–16, and 2018–19
- Algerian Cup: Winner in 2013
- Algerian Super Cup: Secured titles in 2013 and 2016
- UAFA Club Cup: Champion in 2013
- CAF Champions League: Finished as runner-up in 2015
Individual
- Named to the CAF Team of the Year in 2015