This summer, DZfoot offers you a series of articles specially dedicated to the Greens of the world. This time, it’s Houcine Benayada’s turn to be the center of attention.
He is clearly not the most popular of the internationals. However, if there is one player who, for almost a year, has become indispensable in the eyes of his coach, it is Houcine Benayada.
He is one of the workers whose time will come, sooner or later, because the desire to reward the seriousness and self-sacrifice of a player will not be lacking in coaches. Thus, and if he already knows how to take a starting place without Youcef Atal, Houcine Benayada is unknown in Algeria.
A hard worker
Born in 1992 in Oran, like his compatriot and friend Youcef Belaïli, he was one of those who experienced our pre-Paradou national championship. Therefore, there is no training center for him, which evolves within the youth academies of ASM Oran. In the 2000s, when he was a teenager, Benayada learned to play in the streets and developed a technique. At that time, the government had not increased the construction of stadiums in the city and other urban Five pitches, it is in concrete, usually in the middle of a road, that the Algerian learned to manage the circle that skin .
ASMO, where he played as a child, is a family club. Born in a fight between the leaders of USMO, a Muslim club created in opposition to the many forms of black feet at the time, the club has long alternated between the first and second division. For Houcine Benayada, exile also happens quickly: noticed for his good performance in the U21, the right side with a relatively physical profile (1m80) was recruited by USM Algiers for a significant amount at that time , 500 000 €.
At USMA, he discovered a completely different environment and immediately imposed himself. At the age of 22, he played all the championship games of Usmistes (30), discovered (and performed) in the Champions League and even gave himself the luxury, through his natural leadership, to finish as club captain For the first season, the full-back’s record was exceptional, so he was selected for selection by Christian Gourcuff in June 2015. However, he remained on the bench against Seychelles and then in the stands against Lesotho.
Failure, inevitable for a professional player?
These wonderful early promises, unfortunately for Benayada, disappeared in the next season. If he had started with a bang, the side was injured in October, although he was on Gourcuff’s new list for the two games against Guinea and Senegal. The opponent was blocked with 0 picks, Benayada recovered quickly but seemed to decline after his injury. He lost his place as the undisputed holder of the club (like the armband he did not find in his resume) and played only 14 league games, more than half the number of the season in 2014. 2015 .Despite this very different record, Houcine Benayada won a title when he became the Algerian champion.
Eager to find sensations, he left a notch lower and joined CS Constantine, a game formation but unable to fight for the Algerian title. This is not the most important side in search of regularity, which he will find: he played 26 games (absent due to injury for only 4 games) and played all 25 of them. With a decisive pass, he was further characterized by his defensive qualities … and by a nervous attitude on the ground, which earned him 6 yellows.
Endowed with exceptional physical attributes, Houcine Benayada was recognized by followers of the championship. At 25, he continues a new complete and collective extraordinary era. CSC is not unique, but it is almost undefeated and overcomes the biggest (JSK twice, MCA, USMA twice, CRB, ES Sétif), which allowed it to win the second Algerian champion title in its history. Benayada, who has worked hard on his shortcomings, has also become an excellent free-kick and corner shooter. He provided 4 assists and was one of the main architects of the title, his absence against MCA (3-0 loss) which immediately showed his importance for the Sanafirs.
It will continue its rise, slowly but surely, in the next season. Thus he played an excellent career in the Champions League (quarter-final) and the Algerian Cup (semi-final) but not in the championship where CSC, tired of many meetings, was only 7th. Benayada, who has been really good in the attacking game (4 assists and 1 goal), was also punished for his overly aggressive behavior on the pitch: he missed 4 games for a useless red card and already showing that he can be carried off.
The only limit is the sky
If he is in a position to apply for the selection, from his television that he attended the coronation in Africa of the Greens of a former imperial Youcef Atal and a Mehdi Zeffane who, although not very bright, remains the confidence of the new coach. at that time, Djamel Belmadi.
However, his performance will convince the coach to give him another chance. The 2019-2020 season, blocked by Covid-19, is the longest in Algeria. In fact, Benayada has scored and delivered 6 assists, but he has also excelled in the scrum in a Ligue 1 that has become too light for this ambitious player. That is why he was selected for the first time in September 2019 for the internship that will see the Greens play 3 friendlies against Benin, DRC and Colombia, but he still did not play. Djamel Belmadi, in fact, has a habit of stopping some newcomers to observe them closely, and he also whispered to Benayada that he needs to improve in some areas of the game.
The truth of facing the best is the best axis of development, this is the time of exile for Houcine Benayada who longs for Europe… but discovers Tunisia. In this championship at a higher level than in Algeria, he joined Club Africain, a historic formation, and immediately became one of the holders.
This signal was appreciated by Belmadi, who reminded him and gave him, at 29, his first choice in a difficult context: in the stifling heat and the bad ground, Algeria traveled to Niger and conquered it by 0 -4. He took advantage of the physical weakness of a Youcef Atal, who was struggling in the chain, to come on at half-time and play a good 45 minutes. Benayada will not leave the National Team where he could, by force of circumstances, be one of the holders, including an EN A’ that he polished with the quality of his corners and his centers, thus winning the Arab cut.
The fall or the rise?
Meanwhile transferred to ES Sahel, where he will be, not surprisingly, one of the holders, Benayada may think he has reached the top of his game. Unfortunately for him, the moral blows were severe: he was guilty of a bad alignment and a bad score that allowed Cameroon to eliminate Algeria at the gates of the World Cup. He will also be the author of an arm of honor in Tunisia that will see him expelled. With ES Sahel, Benayada claimed not to have been paid for several months and offered his services to European clubs, he could sign there as a free player, but without impact at the moment.
At almost 30 years old (he will be on August 8), Benayada seems to be roaming the streets as well. If his warrior character was enjoyed more than one during the Arab Cup, he also earned the reputation of a nervous player and ready to crack mentally at any time. In selection, if he has always been good, many have not forgiven him for his fatal error against Cameroon. Will the right side find the side of love or fall on the bitter side?
DZfoot