Algerian great Madjer wants return to glory

ALGIERS (Reuters) -- Algeria's coach Rabah Madjer is counted among the greats of African football, having scored a fairytale goal in a European Cup final and competed in two World Cups.

Madjer's audacious back heel which brought FC Porto level with Bayern Munich with just 13 minutes to play in the 1987 European Cup Final in Vienna turned him into a folk hero on the African continent.

Two minutes later Porto scored a second to beat Bayern 2-1 to lift the trophy for the first, and so far only time in their history.

Porto's victory was as much Madjer's -- and as far as Algerian fans were concerned as much Algeria's too -- and there was no surprise when he was named African Footballer of the Year a few months later.

He had also made his mark against the Germans five years previously when he scored the opening goal for Algeria in their memorable 2-1 win over West Germany in the first round of the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

That was Algeria's greatest win by their best-ever team, but Madjer and his mates were cheated out of a deserved place in the second round of the tournament when West Germany then "contrived" to beat Austria 1-0 in their last group match, a result which forced Algeria into third place and out on goal difference after West Germany, Austria and Algeria all finished their three matches with four points each.

Madjer, who celebrates his 44th birthday the week after the Nations Cup finals, started his career at local club Hussein Dey and played in France and Spain before moving to Portugal. He finished his playing career in the Middle East before turning his hand to coaching.

Madjer had a turbulent spell at the helm of the Algerian national side from 1994 to 1995, quitting after accusing officials of interfering with his selections.

He then moved to Qatar but was later persuaded back to take over his old job again for another shot at restoring lost Algerian pride.

He says he already has his eye on the 2006 World Cup finals and that the African Nations Cup is just a stepping stone on the way to a return of the glory days. After what he achieved as a player, no-one should under-estimate him as a coach.

 

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