The French Algerian midfielder has played 42 games for his national side
He played in the World Cup. He wore the jerseys of some of the biggest European clubs. He’s amassed 42 caps with Algeria. Patrice Bernier has given him his number 8 shirt. And he’s only 25 years old. Saphir Taïder, the Montreal Impact’s new Designated Player, checks all the boxes required by the Montreal Impact’s technical staff: efficient passer – he completed over 90% of his attempted passes in Serie A this season – who knows when to quicken the pace of the game and when to keep the ball, inclined to offer an excellent defensive contribution without being afraid to throw himself forward and even shoot from distance, not to mention being a set piece threat. Taïder brings experience, dynamism, and technique to a critical position.
From his first game with Les Fennecs, which was a qualification game for the 2014 World Cup against Benin, Taïder scored the winning goal and gave an assist for the insurance goal in a 3-1 win that pushed Algeria to the top of its group. The team successfully qualified for the World Cup in Brazil, where Taïder started the first game in the group stage, a 2-1 loss at the hands of Belgium, and the round of 16 game against Germany, a game that needed extra time and that finished in favour of the eventual champions.
Montreal’s new number 8 did not participate in the last Africa Cup of Nations due to a knee injury, and Algeria did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, having been put in a tough group with the likes of Nigeria, winners of the group, Cameroon and Zambia. Still, Algeria is an offensive team that scores a lot of goals and that counts on world class players like Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani and Yacine Brahimi. Qualification for the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations is at its beginnings, with Algeria currently at the top of group D, tied with Benin after one game, after beating Togo 1-0. Algeria’s next game will be in March, for a qualification game against Gambia.
