Sid Ali Yahia-Chérif
Sid Ali Yahia-Chérif | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1985 Algiers, Algeria |
| Other names | Alilou |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | Playing for JS El Biar, JS Kabylie, FC Istres |
Sid Ali «Alilou» Yahia-Chérif, born on January 4, 1985, is an Algerian professional footballer who currently plays for JS El Biar.
Club career
Originating from Algiers, Yahia-Chérif started his football journey with local clubs ES Kouba and ES Ben Aknoun. In 2003, he became part of the youth setup at RC Kouba and advanced to their senior team by 2005. He played a role in RC Kouba's ascent to the premier division during the 2007/2008 season but departed following their drop to a lower league in the 2008/2009 campaign.
JS Kabylie
In 2009, although there was interest from French teams such as AS Monaco, FC Metz, and FC Istres, Yahia-Chérif opted to sign a three-year deal with JS Kabylie. During his debut season, he featured in 31 league matches and netted 10 goals, aiding JS Kabylie in securing third place domestically and advancing to the semi-finals of the 2010 CAF Champions League. A highlight was his match-winning goal against Tunisia’s Club Africain in the opening round.
His second year at the club saw reduced involvement, with only 10 league appearances and no goals scored. Nevertheless, he started in the 2011 Algerian Cup Final, where JS Kabylie triumphed 1–0 over USM El Harrach, capturing their first Algerian Cup title since 1994.
FC Istres
On July 6, 2011, Yahia-Chérif committed to a three-year contract with French Ligue 2 side Istres.
International career
Yahia-Chérif received a call-up to the Algerian A' National Team on April 17, 2008, for a qualifying match against Morocco in the 2009 African Championship of Nations. At that time, he was the sole player selected from a second-division club. Additionally, he has represented Algeria at the Under-23 level.
Honours
- Secured the Algerian Cup title with JS Kabylie in 2011
- Claimed the Algerian Cup trophy with CR Belouizdad in 2017