“Saifi threatened to kill me,†says Algeria female journalist
Journalist Asma Halimi said Algeria’s striker Rafik Saifi slapped her while she was doing her job in Pretoria’s stadium. “He threatened to kill me,†she told Echorouk in an interview.
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Would you mind telling us about the whole story?
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I was with player Ziani’s uncle and a French journalist waiting for the players. I saw Saifi coming to us. I tried to avoid him and I stepped back but he slapped me. I tried to respond and I think I hit his mouth.
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And what happened after that?
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He came back once again and threw a water bottle on me. He told me: “I will kill you…It’s me who will kill you.” Then, a number of foreign journalists came and asked me to calm down.
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Was any member of the Algerian football Federation (FAF) or any player present there?
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No one was present.
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How did you respond?
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I went to the FIFA’s representatives and I lodged an official complaint.
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How was their reaction?
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They told me a special commission would meet to consider the issue.
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What did Algerian journalists do?
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They were not present there but they called me later on. They showed solidarity with me. Communication minister called me and denounced what happened to me.
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What about the foreign journalists?
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A number of foreign journalists were present. They told me they were ready to testify and gave me their phone numbers and e-mails.
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Did any member of the FAF call you?
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No. I think they kept silence because they are a party to that.
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Do you think that Saifi’s behaviour was due to an old problem between you and him following a match between Algeria and Uruguay?
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Absolutely. He slapped me in Algeria 5 Juillet stadium and I did not respond. However, he threatened to kill me in Angola. The FAF’s president Mohamed Raouraoua intervened and asked him to stop that.
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Do you believe that the problem is over after you contacted the FIFA?
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No never. I will lodge an official complaint when I come back to Algeria.