Tunisian footballer
Hédi «Balha» Berkhissa (28 June 1972 – 4 January 1997) was a Tunisian footballer who played for Espérance and the Tunisian National Team as a defender.
Early life.
Berkhissa was born on the island of Kerkennah off the coast of Tunisia on 9 May 1972 to a Tunisian father and Algerian mother. In December of that year, he left with his family to settle in France, but returned six years later to learn Arabic. Unable to settle, he later decided to move back to France, only to return permanently to Tunisia with his family when he was 16. Having played football while living in France he joined his local team in the capital, Espérance.
Career.
Berkhissa made his first appearance for Espérance when he was 18 years old. It was a dream debut on 31 January 1991 in the Tunis derby against local rivals Club Africain, with the game ending in a draw. He scored his first league goal for Espérance in the Tunis derby against Club Africain a game which ended in a 2-0 victory for Espérance. In total, Berkhissa made 98 league appearances for the club, scoring 9 goals. He also made 13 appearances in the Tunisian President Cup and made 24 appearances in African club competitions scoring 2 memorable goals in one game against Egyptian giants Al Zamalek.
Death.
On 4 January 1997, in a friendly match between Espérance and French side Lyon at Stade Chedli Zouiten, Berkhissa had a heart attack on the field in the last minutes of the game and died.
References.
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