| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1997-08-28)28 August 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Hadjout, Algeria | ||
| Date of death | 10 June 2022(2022-06-10) (aged 24) | ||
| Place of death | Bou Ismaïl, Algeria | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2016 | USMM Hadjout | ||
| 2016–2018 | USM Alger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | USMM Hadjout | 10 | (1) |
| 2017–2022 | USM Alger | 93 | (11) |
| International career | |||
| 2018–2021 | Algeria U23 | 10 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Algeria A' | 6 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Billel Benhammouda (Arabic:بلال بن حمودة; 28 August 1997 – 10 June 2022) was an Algerian professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder.[1]
Benhammouda was born inHadjout,Tipasa Province. His father Ali is a sports teacher and football coach and his two brothers are also a football players.[2]
In July 2016, Benhammouda joined thereserve team ofUSM Alger. On 28 October 2017, he made his debut for the team in theLigue 1 againstCR Belouizdad as a substitute in 4–0 victory. On 7 July 2018 Benhammouda was promoted to USM Alger's first team,[3] and in this season he participated in 14 matches. On 12 November 2018, he made his first game as a starter againstMC Oran. At the end of the2018–19 season he achieved his first title in his history.[4] At the start of the2019–20 season, he was expected to be one of the main elements, especially after the departure of several stars and match by match he has become one of the main players. On 5 January, in the2019–20 Algerian Cup Benhammouda scored his first goal againstUSM Khenchela and made two assists forAymen Mahious andOualid Ardji in 6–1 victory.[5] On 14 March 2020, he scored twice, his first in Ligue 1 against MC Oran, to lead them to their first victory in two months 4–1.[6] On 6 November 2020, Benhammouda renewed his contract until 2023.[7] In the2021–22 season, Benhammouda started knocking on the doors of the national team and developing his performance, and on 20 November, he scored a double againstUS Biskra, a few days later Benhammouda scored another double this time againstRC Relizane.
Benhammouda participated with the Algeria national team in many categories and was the former captain of theAlgeria under-23 national team. On 26 March 2019, he scored his first goals at the2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualification againstEquatorial Guinea in 3–1 victory.[8] Algeria failed to qualify for the finals after the elimination againstGhana.[9]
In June 2021, Benhammouda was called up byMadjid Bougherra for the first time to theAlgeria A' national team againstLiberia to inaugurate thenew stadium in Oran in 5–1 victory.[10] On 22 August 2021, Bougherra called up 26 players including Benhammouda to training camp in Qatar in preparation for the2021 FIFA Arab Cup.[11] In the second match againstBurundi Benhammouda scored his first goal.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمThere was no place for eternity to exist, life begins with a cry and ends with a stroke and the interval between the beginning and the end is a life in which we write what is mentioned about us after death. And you Billel have written with your morals, your humility and your pure spirit what makes your memory immortal in hearts. Every time we want to wake up from the tragedy that befell us, but sadness sends us back to the folds of nostalgia we remember you and our hearts sweeten with what we entrusted about you.
Billel today it is not only Benhammouda family who mourns you and not onlyUSM Alger, but allAlgeria will miss you, only in body but you will remain the greatest present in hearts and permanent in minds and you will continue to have an eternal share of prayers. Dear late we do not want the lament to end with a farewell word, we will say to the meeting in the paradise of eternity.الى الملتقى يا بلال ؛ انا لله وانا اليه راجعون
After the end of theAlgeria A' match againstDR Congo A',Madjid Bougherra decided to lay off the players for one day. Benhammouda called his friend to take him home. On the road betweenDouaouda andBou Ismaïl, he had a fatal traffic accident. The next day after aDNA examination his death was announced Benhammouda died at the age of 24.[13] While USM Alger moved to Setif to play the last round match the team returned after hearing this collision news,Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) granted the request to postpone the match to a later date.[14]
| Club | Season | League | Algerian Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| USMM Hadjout | 2015–16 | Ligue 2 | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| USM Alger | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8[a] | 0 | — | 24 | 3 | |||
| 2020–21 | 32 | 2 | — | — | 4[b] | 0 | 36 | 2 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 30 | 7 | — | — | — | 30 | 7 | |||||
| Total | 93 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 109 | 12 | ||
| Career total | 104 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 120 | 13 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 August 2021 | Al-Khor SC Stadium,Al Khor, Qatar |  Burundi | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 9 June 2022 | Stade du 5 Juillet,Algiers, Algeria |  DR Congo | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
USM Alger