Ali Boumnijel

Football player infobox


playername = Ali Boumnijel
fullname = Ali Boumnijel
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1966|4|13
cityofbirth = Menzel Sealih
countryofbirth = Tunisia
height = height|m=1.88
currentclub = Club Africain
club number = 1991-1998: 22; 1998-Present - 1
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1991-92 1992-97 1998-03 2003-04 2005-07
clubs = AS Nancy Gueugnon Bastia Rouen Club Africain
caps(goals) = 7 (0) 166 (0) 16 (0) 23 (0) ? (?)
nationalyears = 1991-2007
nationalteam = Tunisia
nationalcaps(goals) = 51 (0)
pcupdate = 23 June 2006
ntupdate = 23 June 2006

Ali Boumnijel (born April 13, 1966 in Menzel Sealih) ( _ar. علي بومنيجل) is a retired Tunisian football goalkeeper.

The Tunisian international began his career in FC Gueugnon in France, however without playing any games. His first game as a professional footballer came on October 20, 1991 for AS Nancy in a 1:3 loss to AJ Auxerre. Afterwards he returned to his previous team, where he played five seasons, until changing to SC Bastia. He played for Bastia for six years, and then one season at FC Rouen. In 2004 he has problems finding a high-level club in France, much due to his high age. He therefore moved to Tunisia to play for Club Africain.

In the national team he debuted on November 27, 1991 against Côte d'Ivoire, but he had to wait five years for his next international match. Having established himself as a competitive goalkeeper in time for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Tunisia's coach at that time Henryk Kasperczak still used Chokri El Ouaer. Ouaer remained the first choice for many years, until he, shortly before the 2002 FIFA World Cup, gave in due to back problems. Since then Boumnijel has been Tunisia's first choice goalkeeper, playing at the 2004 African Nations Cup.

Aged 40, he was the oldest player at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Boumnijel has been praised for his great leadership and goalkeeping skills during the World Cup.