Nabil Baha

Nabil Baha

Personal information
Full name	Nabil Baha
Date of birth	12 August 1981 (1981-08-12) (age 30)
Place of birth	Remiremont, France
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Sabadell
Number	14
Youth career
1994–1998	Épinal
1998–2000	Montpellier
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2001	Montpellier B
2001–2004	Naval	84	(24)
2004	Braga B	4	(4)
2004–2005	Braga	10	(1)
2005–2006	Racing Ferrol	37	(8)
2006	Créteil-Lusitanos	17	(5)
2007	Ponferradina	20	(9)
2007–2011	Málaga	109	(24)
2011	AEK Athens	15	(0)
2011–	Sabadell	6	(1)
National team‡
2003–	Morocco	20	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 October 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 January 2011

Nabil Baha (Arabic: نبيل باها; born 12 August 1981 in Remiremont, France) is a Moroccan footballer who plays for CE Sabadell FC in Spain, as a striker.

Both his parents come from Douar Guerzine, near Fes.

Club career

Baha made his professional debuts with France's Montpellier HSC, then went on to represent Associação Naval 1º de Maio (second division) and Sporting Clube de Braga in Portugal, moving to neighbours Spain in 2005, where he appeared for Racing de Ferrol in Spain's second level. There, in spite of his eight league goals, the Galician side would be relegated.

After a brief return spell to France, with lowly US Créteil-Lusitanos, Baha returned to Spain and its second-tier in January 2007, netting nine league goals for SD Ponferradina, which would also drop down a level at the season's closure.

In 2007–08, he played for another side in the category, Málaga CF, and, benefitting from several injuries to habitual first-choice Salva, finished with 10 goals (squad's second-best) as the Andalusia side returned to La Liga after two years.

In the early months of 2008, Baha was subject of a €2 million transfer to FC Steaua Bucureşti, however he rejected this as he eventually wanted to play in Spain's top flight. He had a clause in his contract allowing him to talk to other clubs if the offer was of at least €5 million. In 2008–09, Baha scored his first goal in the Spanish top flight, in a 4–0 away routing of Recreativo de Huelva, on 5 October 2008. The following month, he also scored at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid, in a 3–4 final loss,^[1] and finished the first half of the season as the club's top scorer, at eight (for a total of nine, tied for best with midfielder Apoño).

On 29 January 2011, free agent Baha joined AEK Athens F.C. from Greece, signing a six-month contract with an option for an extra year.^[2] On 30 April, he netted his only official goal of the season, in a 3–0 win against Atromitos F.C. for the Greek Cup final.

On 18 August 2011, Baha returned to Spain and joined CE Sabadell FC, signing a two-year contract.^[3]

International career

A full Moroccan international since 2003,^[4] Baha took part in the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, where the national side finished second to hosts Tunisia, as he scored once, in a 4–0 semifinal rout of Mali.^[5][6]

Due to a dislocated shoulder suffered in the late months of October against Racing de Santander in a Spanish Cup match, he failed to win a place in the nation's final squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, which was held in Ghana.

References

1. ^ Four-star Higuaín and Eto'o turn on the style
2. ^ AEK Athens signs Baha
3. ^ Baha joins CE Sabadell
4. ^ Morocco name foreign legion
5. ^ Morocco book final spot
6. ^ Tunisia edge past Nigeria

External links

• Sabadell official profile
• Nabil Baha French league stats at LFP.fr (French)
• BDFutbol profile
• Stats at ForaDeJogo
• Nabil Baha at National-Football-Teams.com
• Transfermarkt profile

Persondata
Name	Baha, Nabil
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	12 August 1981
Place of birth	Remiremont, France
Date of death
Place of death