Hocine Achiou

Infobox Football biography
playername = Hocine Achiou
fullname = Hocine Achiou
height = Height|m=1.72
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|4|27
cityofbirth = Alger
countryofbirth = Algeria
currentclub = USM Alger
clubnumber =
position = Midfielder
youthyears = 1990-96
youthclubs = ES Ben Aknoun
years = 1996-2006
2006-2007
2007-
clubs = USM Alger
FC Aarau USM Alger
caps(goals) = ? (?)
28 (4)
? (?)
pcupdate = November 30, 2006
nationalyears = 2003-
nationalteam = Algeria
nationalcaps(goals) = 25 (3)
ntupdate = Juin 30, 2007

Hocine Achiou (born April 27, 1979 in Alger, Algeria) is an Algerian footballer who is currently playing for USM Alger in the Algerian league.

Football career

Achiou started his playing career with ES Ben Aknoun before joining the junior ranks of USM Alger. He would eventually sign his first professional contract with the club. Achiou was an important member of the team's African Champions League run in 2003 and 2004. USM Alger made the final eight (group stage) in both those years and even made it to the semi-final in 2003 when they lost 3-2 on aggregate to eventual champions Enyimba FC.

He had numerous opportunities to join European clubs but the player could not agree on financial terms with the clubs. He had trials with Premiership-sides Fulham FC and Portsmouth FC and French clubs CS Sedan and FC Lorient. Hocine finally signed a one year deal with Swiss club FC Aarau in the summer of 2006. He scored a goal in his first league game against FC St. Gallen. In the summer of 2007, he left FC Aarau after just one season and immediately joined his former team USM Alger.

International career

Achiou was part of the Algerian team that finished second in their group in the first round of the 2004 African Nations Cup behind Cameroun before being defeated by Morocco in the quarter-finals. Achiou had scored an important goal against Egypt in one of the group stage matches that was instrumental in helping Algeria reach the quarterfinals. Achiou also scored a goal against Zimbabwe which would be the difference in the tie-breaker against Egypt, and ultimately qualify Algeria to the quarter-finals. Achiou has 25 caps for the Algerian national team and has scored 3 goals.

Honours

* Won the Algerian league three times with USM Alger in 2002, 2003 and 2005
* Won the Algerian Cup three times with USM Alger in USM Alger in 2001, 2003 and 2004
* Reached the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League with USM Alger in 2003