Meflah BENAOUDA

Algerian-born Meflah Benaouda (nicknamed Aoued) began football, in his hometown, with Croissant Club Musulman de Mascara. In 1927, he signed for the prestigious club Mouloudia of Alger, during his time on military service. A brilliant striker, he was quickly spotted by several French clubs, and it would be SC Fives who signed him in 1933. He remained there for a season, scoring ten goals, and he had a big hand in his team finishing Runners-Up in the French Championship. After that, he moved to Alès in 1934, before arriving at Stade Rennais in 1936. He would find a place in the starting line-up, usually spearheading the Rennes attack. He would prove to be a clinical striker (scoring eight goals in his first season) scoring the only goal of the match against his old club, SC Fives, in January 1937. His stay in Brittany would only last until 1938, because he moved on to Antibes, where he would spend two seasons, before eventually returning to Stade Rennais University Club in 1940. In his second spell, he would become the key man in attack until 1941. Thereafter, however, his gametime dwindled somewhat, and he would spend most of his time playing for the Amateur team, in particular in the 1943/1944 and 1945/1946 seasons, For his last season at the club (1946/1947), he would make just one single appearance. Thereafter, he returned home to Algeria, where he would go on to manage the two clubs in Mascara, whilst holding down a job as a P.E. Teacher at a sixth-form college. Tragically, he was killed in a car crash in 1965. As mark of respect and a way of commemorating their local hero, the former stadium in Mascara would be named after him.