Saber Khalifa (Arabic: صابر خليفة; born 14 October 1986) is a Tunisian former footballer who played as a winger and striker.
 Khalifa playing for Tunisia at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 October 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Gabès, Tunisia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2006 | Stade Gabèsien | 29 | (15) |
| 2006–2008 | Espérance | 22 | (1) |
| 2008–2010 | Hammam-Lif | 32 | (20) |
| 2010–2011 | Espérance | 12 | (1) |
| 2011 | Ahli Benghazi | 4 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | Evian Thonon Gaillard | 56 | (17) |
| 2013–2016 | Marseille | 28 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | → Club Africain (loan) | 44 | (19) |
| 2016–2019 | Club Africain | 20 | (6) |
| 2018 | → Kuwait SC (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2019 | Emirates | 9 | (3) |
| 2019–2023 | Club Africain | 53 | (11) |
| International career | |||
| 2010–2018 | Tunisia | 46 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editBorn in Gabès, Khalifa has played in Tunisia, Libya and France for Stade Gabèsien, Espérance, Hammam-Lif, Al-Ahly.[2][3][4]
He joined French club Evian Thonon Gaillard in 2011,[5] and in 2013 he was a finalist in the Coupe de France when his side lost 2–3 to Bordeaux.[6]
On 7 August 2013, Khalifa was linked with a move to Marseille,[7] and he signed a four-year contract 2 days later.[8] He stayed one season, playing 28 league matches and scoring once.[5]
On 26 July 2014, Khalifa was loaned to Club Africain with an option to buy included in the deal.[9]
In June 2016 Kalifa was linked with a move to Qatar to play for Al-Shahania Sports Club but this move eventually fell through.[10] He spent time on loan with Kuwait SC in 2018.[3]
On 14 January 2019, Emirates Club has signed Khalfia for one seasons from Club Africain.[11]
International career
editKhalifa made his senior international debut for Tunisia in 2010 against Botswana[5][2] and has appeared in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.[12]
He was a member of Tunisia's squad at both the 2012 and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.[13][14]
Khalifa was recalled to the national team squad in October 2013, having been suspended for the previous month.[15]
In December 2014 he was named as part of Tunisia's provisional squad for the 2015 African Cup of Nations.[16]
He was named in Tunisia's final 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.[17]
Career statistics
editInternational
edit- As of 28 June 2018[2]
| Tunisia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 2 | 1 |
| 2012 | 11 | 3 |
| 2013 | 9 | 1 |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 |
| 2015 | 8 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 43 | 7 |
International goals
edit- Scores and results list Tunisia's goal tally first.[2]
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 October 2011 | Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, Tunisia |  Togo |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 9 January 2012 | Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  Sudan |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3. | 5 February 2012 | Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon |  Ghana |
1–1 | 1–2 (a.e.t) | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 4. | 9 June 2012 | Estádio da Várzea, Praia, Cape Verde |  Cape Verde |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5. | 10 January 2013 | Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar |  Gabon |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 6. | 12 June 2015 | Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, Tunisia |  Djibouti |
5–1 | 8–1 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 7. | 4 September 2016 | Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet, Monastir, Tunisia |  Liberia |
3–1 | 4–1 |
Personal life
editUpon signing with Marseille in August 2013, Khalifa's name was accidentally rendered as "Khlifa".[18] In a video for Marseille's WebTV, he attributed this spelling mistake to the misconceived pronunciation of his name when he arrived in France.[19]
References
edit- ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d Saber Khalifa at National-Football-Teams.com
- ^ a b Saber Khalifa at Soccerway
- ^ Saber Khalifa – UEFA competition record (archive)
- ^ a b c "Saber Khalifa". lequipe.fr. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Evain TG vs Bordeaux". soccerway.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Tunisian midfielder Saber Khlifa set to join Marseille". BBC Sport. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- ^ "Tunisia forward Khelifa accepts Marseille challenge". UEFA. 10 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ Rostain, Frédéric (26 July 2014). "Loan agreement reached for Saber Khalifa". Olympique Marseille. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ "Transfers". dzfoot.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ خليفة ينضم لنادي الإمارات Saber Khalifa joins Emirates Club
- ^ Saber Khalifa – FIFA competition record (archived)
- ^ "Tunisia name their squad for the Africa Cup of Nations". BBC Sport. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
- ^ "Nations Cup 2013: Tunisia name 25-man squad". BBC Sport. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
- ^ "Saber Khalifa returns to Tunisia squad for play-off". BBC Sport. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (28 December 2014). "Nations Cup 2015: Bilel Mohsni called up to Tunisia squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Okeleji, Oluwashina (2 June 2018). "Tunisia World Cup squad: Leicester City's Benalouane in 23-man squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "L'OM a engagé Saber Khalifa, et non pas Khlifa" [OM hired Saber Khalifa, not Khlifa] (in French). 20 minutes. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Mon vrai nom est..." [My real name is....] (in French). OMTV. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- Yoann Touzghar a résilié son contrat au Club Africain‚ lensois.com, 12 June 2016