That was a thrilling end to the U.S.-Algeria match, wasn’t it? Thank goodness the losing team didn’t take it too hard. Here’s Algerian forward Rafik Saifi, 35, who was so mad after his team’s 1-0 loss that he could just slap someone … and so he did. After exiting the field earlier today, Saifi walked up to an Algerian newspaper reporter and slapped her in the face.
While walking through the interview zone, Saifi spotted writer Asma Halimi, who works for Algerian newspaper Competition, and struck her with his open hand in front of dozens of witnesses. Halimi responded by striking the player in the mouth.
Saifi then threw a sports drink bottle at a wall in the interview area, as Halimi was ushered away by security staff.
“I said nothing to him and he reached over and hit me,” Halimi said to Yahoo! Sports. “So I hit him back. I said nothing to him first.”
Saifi and Halimi have a history, it seems; she leaked news of his marriage to a French woman to Algerian newspapers last year. Since France and Algeria are not exactly on the best of terms, Saifi has been touchy about that ever since.
Protests will be lodged and complaints will be filed, believe me. But because Saifi is human and humans make mistakes, and it might interfere with the flow of The Beautiful Game, don’t expect Sepp Blatter to overturn this slap.
***
Algerian Player Rafik Saifi Slaps Female Reporter After Loss [The Sporting Blog]
Algeria player slaps female reporter [Yahoo Sports]
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- sam honest - Jun 25, 2010 at 2:10 AM
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stop your lies amr .stop your hatred.stop your ignorance against Algerians I am not a arabe but i am a Muslim .I am not Algerian but just by reading your comments I realize why the arab nations they lack behind wake up ignorant amr.
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- Amr - Jun 25, 2010 at 8:22 AM
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You aren’t amazing at all.
- You’ve entered World Cup by your violence method.
- You’ve exited World Cup by getting your ass kicked since, There was a security to stop your crowd.
You didn’t yourself amazing at all. Are you kidding?
There is nothing you’ve did to compare between Algeria and Egypt.
Only one thing? A: Petty crowd, Stupid Algerian player, No respect, and you make other people think wrong about Muslims.
You are such stupid idiotic like everyone thinks that Algeria did something.
How stupid are you? I can’t stop laughing now. There is a subject now that a Algerian player hit a woman and You answer telling that you are amazing?
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- Amr - Jun 25, 2010 at 8:31 AM
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I’m not lying…
See what happened when we Egyptians were matching them.
They were holding knives and All that I don’t say it from my mind.
There are a lot of videos which prove that. Google it: “Algeria crowd hold knives” and Watch the videos.
I never lied. Why do I lie? They started it…
I’m not hating Algerians. But, we’ve to say the truth.
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- Amr - Jun 25, 2010 at 8:39 AM
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Algeria, You will never be strong with your bad method…
You were matching Egypt like you were going to a WAR…
If you have matched us respectfully, We would cheer you as well.
And that subject prove it that Algerians haven’t any respect…
Algerian player slaps a woman.
Then, we are going to make our face going down and down.
Now, people are going to talk about Muslims wrongly…
If ONE MUSLIM did something wrong, People would talk about all Muslims…
It’s very simple. So… If you haven’t respect, Why don’t you just save your religion from getting down and down?
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- Amr - Jun 25, 2010 at 8:42 AM
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Algeria, You will never be strong with your bad method…
You were matching Egypt like you were going to a WAR…
If you have matched us respectfully, We would cheer you as well.
And that subject prove it that Algerians haven’t any respect…
Algerian player slaps a woman.
Then, we are going to make our face going down and down.
Now, people are going to talk about Muslims wrongly…
If ONE MUSLIM did something wrong, People would talk about all Muslims…
It’s very simple. So… If you haven’t respect, Why don’t you just save your religion from getting down and down?
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- Louis cardona - Jun 25, 2010 at 10:27 AM
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Shut up you Egytian dog.Algerians have nothing in common with you; they are a dignified people!!!!!!!
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- louis cardona - Jun 25, 2010 at 10:29 AM
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** Comment removed, cleaned, replaced, and then removed again **
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- louis.cardona - Jun 25, 2010 at 10:31 AM
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Katie I bet you don’t even know if Canada is north or south of the US.
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- louis cardona - Jun 25, 2010 at 10:37 AM
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Algerians beat you and they will beat you again. algerians are intelligent, dignified, and handsome. You have no sense of dignity. If it were not for Algeria, the Israelis would hve exterminated you in 1973.
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- sanar - Jun 25, 2010 at 5:55 PM
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I am muslim and religion is away to being involved .He is
ignorant to slap a women even if a women could .HE IS A BIG NUT.
Algerians like frensh they’re believing the best than all the world.Did you see what happened in EGYPT?
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- moe - Jun 25, 2010 at 10:39 PM
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So Egypt is considered ummm a dunyah ( the mother of civilization). I think the correct name for Egypt is umm Assahyooniyah( the mother of Zionists). How can 80 million not overthrow a coward (mubarak) and then build an underground tunnel to block of the honorable people of Gaza. Shame on you. 1 out of every egyptians are addicted to cigarettes and 60 % live under 2 dollars a day and your worried about Algerian soccer player slapping somebody. Didn’t the police forces just break that young mans face beyond recognition. Your worried about Algerian soccer. Wake up. Hosni Mubarak tried to use soccer as tool to give his son the presidency. Didnt you hear the crowd shouting Gamal, Gamal. Same for Algeria, they are using soccer as tool to control the populace. As far as Barbarians go, dont adopt the egyptian media line, because we Algerians would never do what you are doing to the palestinians. I think the act of Barbarianism is closing off Gaza and obeying everything isreal has to say. Now its not fair to paint all Egyptians with the same brush but just dont be quick to criticize others when you dont have anything noble to show for. The pyramids were built by the Pharaohs, who were the worst people to ever live. Now why would you root for a team (pharaohs) that glorifies those who abused, plundered and raped and killed. check yourself before your criticize. Now as far as the topic goes, stupidity is not relegated to a specific people. You have good and bad in all cultures. Is it fair to say Christianity allows the pope and his clergy to sexually abuse children by the thousands and get away with it. Now do people attack the religion or the followers of the religion. And remember, you cannot judge a religion by what a member does but by what the scriptures of that religion say. Because if we were to follow your example then it would be fair to say that Catholic churches sexually abuse children but we know you cant judge the whole church by what a few members have done.
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- moe - Jun 25, 2010 at 10:45 PM
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So Egypt is considered ummm a dunyah ( the mother of civilization). I think the correct name for Egypt is umm Assahyooniyah( the mother of Zionists). How can 80 million not overthrow a coward (mubarak) and then build an underground tunnel to block of the honorable people of Gaza. Shame on you. 1 out of every egyptians are addicted to cigarettes and 60 % live under 2 dollars a day and your worried about Algerian soccer player slapping somebody. Didn’t the police forces just break that young mans face beyond recognition. Your worried about Algerian soccer. Wake up. Hosni Mubarak tried to use soccer as tool to give his son the presidency. Didnt you hear the crowd shouting Gamal, Gamal. Same for Algeria, they are using soccer as tool to control the populace. As far as Barbarians go, dont adopt the egyptian media line, because we Algerians would never do what you are doing to the palestinians. I think the act of Barbarianism is closing off Gaza and obeying everything isreal has to say. Now its not fair to paint all Egyptians with the same brush but just dont be quick to criticize others when you dont have anything noble to show for. The pyramids were built by the Pharaohs, who were the worst people to ever live. Now why would you root for a team (pharaohs) that glorifies those who abused, plundered and raped and killed. check yourself before your criticize. Now as far as the topic goes, stupidity is not relegated to a specific people. You have good and bad in all cultures. Is it fair to say Christianity allows the pope and his clergy to sexually abuse children by the thousands and get away with it. Now do people attack the religion or the followers of the religion. And remember, you cannot judge a religion by what a member does but by what the scriptures of that religion say. Because if we were to follow your example then it would be fair to say that Catholic churches sexually abuse children but we know you cant judge the whole church by what a few members have done.
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- juniper - Jun 26, 2010 at 6:43 AM
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Setay, in case you had not noticed, we Westerners have moved on from a literal interpretation of the Bible.
Guess what, we no longer live in tents, women are equal to men, can take men to court if they attack them.
Islam is the word of allah; it cannot be changed, therefore, apart from certain parts of the koran, YOU ALL take it literally!
WE have moved on in the last 1400 years, you lot have not!
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- mena - Jun 26, 2010 at 10:42 PM
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i’m glad the world got to see the TRUE Algeria. 0 goals, 0 wins,0 class, 2 red cards, 2 losses, and a team of thugs.
The Pharaos are the true Kings of African Football.
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- Kadi - Jun 27, 2010 at 1:43 PM
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Hey u egyptian.. u re obviously jealious and u can never beat or compete an algerian! hehe! I really feel sorry for u and the people of ur country who are ignorant!
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- mena - Jun 27, 2010 at 7:32 PM
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No Kadi, you’re completely wrong. Not only can we compete with Algeria, but Algeria is not even close to Egypt (in terms of anything, really).
The Egyptian civilization is the greatest civilization to have ever lived. Our ancestors the pharos have provided us with a culture, tradition, and history so rich that countries all over the world from Asia to America still read about our ancient civilization. Who has ever read about the “great algerian civilization” (no one has.. IT NEVER EXISTED). Your culture is so pathetic that you did not even write your own national anthem.. AN EGYPTIAN DID.
There is no such thing as Algerian culture or alegerian history. What has Algeria ever provided our world with? nothing, nothing at all. You culture and history are so pathetic that one is often confused whether you are french or arabic (by the way who.. who takes up the same language and culture of the country that colonized you? sounds like a bunch of losers to me).
In terms of football Egypt is the pride and jewel of African football. Algeria is just a little stain in the big picture. You luckily got into the world cup by bringing thugs to the game in Sudan– congrats, your pathetic country and culture finally have something to be happy about, including all those goals that you scored in the world cup.. o wait.. you didn’t score.. at all.. good job hitting the post once though.
You can take your world cup birth and dwell on it for the next four years, but last time I checked Egypt has not lost a game in the african tournament since 2004, and have won the last 3 tournaments (that’s unheard of.. that’s complete domination). Next time Egypt takes the field we’re going to have 7 stars above our chests, you’ll have one.
Sorry.. Algeria will never ever match up to Egypt in terms of anything. We’re just the best, and there’s no way around it. Better luck next year, inshallah you’ll score a goal but as of right now you’re just Algeria again.. aka: a country that no one will ever care about it.
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- SHAO KHAN - Jun 29, 2010 at 6:02 PM
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and they call themselves MUSLIMS . . Good they lost, losers!
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- Donna - Jun 30, 2010 at 4:52 PM
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Wow!! Can we say sore looser, poor sportsmanship, cry baby, any other tasteful tags to label this chump with??!!??!!
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- Ali - Jul 4, 2010 at 6:44 PM
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Western men beat women. Abuse of women in the west by western men is rampant. Look at the statistics for the amount of women who are killed every week by their partners. How many women are raped every minute in USA? Or I guess some people will now say that I am generalising.
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- Donna - Jul 8, 2010 at 3:31 PM
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Ali says: Abuse of women in the west by western men is rampant”
SOME women in the west get beaten by their partners, but not all! I understand where you was going with that comment, however since you sought to point out the USA it should be noted that women here have more rights than anywhere in the world. We are not required to cover ourselves completely in public, we are not made to walk 10 paces behind our men, and we generally have the law to back us up if a man hits us. Unlike other places in the world where if a man hits a woman (his wife) the law does not get involved and the woman has no legal recourse to prevent it from happening again. This dude learned that NOT ALL women are going to take a man’s abuse, not all women are going to let a man slap the taste out their mouths without getting a lick in retaliation.
I for one was married to a man that thought every time he got drunk and mad in the same day he could draw back and hit me, well lets just say he got FORD stamped on that ass from the front end of my car and it cured him from thinking he could do that and walk away without consequences!!!
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- Cactus - Jul 11, 2010 at 5:25 PM
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I got into a fight in a student cafeteria in Paris in 1961 with an Algerian who had insulted my sister. By the time we two
American girls got finished with him, he fled and never returned to the cafeteria. I got a fist in the face. He got a WWII surplus metal tray filled with hot food in the face. No contest. That guy put his face on the concept of evil for a 17 year old girl, and he didn’t do his home country any favors either! Good for you, Asma Halimi! I know EXACTLY how you felt!
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- jimbob - Jul 16, 2010 at 11:48 PM
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So, are u saying women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to drive? I don’t think so. Can girls go to school in Muslim countries, sure … in some, and they’re killed in others. And, you’ll have to admit, in Western countries, when a woman is raped she isn’t punished for adultery. You still have honor killings in some Islamic countries. So, sure, some countries in the Middle East are less barbaric than others. Also, Islam contibuted much to the Western world in science,medicine and mathematics, IN THE 10th century. The problem is now 1100 years have passed by, and the Western world has moved on (yes we still have problems) and some of the Muslim world is still stuck in the 7th century. For those Muslims who believe in peace, more power to them, to the violent thugs among them, a speedy path to Paradise (as if!). The same for Christians, blessed be the peacemakers, bad karma to the evil ones.
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- K M - Jul 22, 2010 at 7:34 AM
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The only pig in this situation is you and your ilk.. Ignorant people who know nothing and live to denegrate their betters in order to give their sorry existance some value… WHAT A PIG!!!
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- adam - Jul 30, 2010 at 3:16 PM
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ahhhhhhhhh katie you talking cos hes muslim
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