Nizar Issaoui (; 30 September 1987 – 13 April 2023) was a Tunisian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
*Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Smal ...
.
Club career
Issaoui signed his first professional contract at the age of 24 in 2011, at
Grombalia Sports then in the
Tunisian second tier, and contributed to the clubs promotion to the
top flight.
In 2012, Issaoui and
Nasser Chabani, another Grombalia Sports player, were accused of hitting and insulting police officers, and of disturbing public order during a
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...
match, which led to Issaoui spending a few months in prison.
In 2013, he signed for Tozeur, where he scores five goals. That same year, he received interest from
Club Africain
Club Africain (), known as CA for short, is a Tunisian professional football club based in Tunis. The club was founded in 1920 and its colours are red and white. Their home stadium, Hammadi Agrebi Stadium, has a capacity of 60,000 spectators. ...
,
Etoile du Sahel de Sousse and
CA Bizertin
Club Athlétique Bizertin (), known as CA Bizertin or simply CAB for short, is a Tunisian professional football club based in Bizerte. The club was founded 1928 and its colours are yellow and black. Their home stadium, 15 October Stadium, has a ...
.
In 2014, Issaoui signed for Monastir. He made eighteen appearances and scored one goal and recorded one assist for the club. However, later that year, he was sent to train with the youth academy due to disciplinary issues. In 2015, he signed for Saudi Arabian side
Al-Orobah. After that, he signed for Gafsa in Tunisia, where he made seven appearances and scored one goal.
International career
In 2014, Issaoui received interest to be called up by the
Tunisia national team. However, he never played for the national team, which he claimed was due to his arrest record.
Death
On 13 April 2023, Issaoui died after
setting himself on fire
Self-immolation is the act of setting oneself on fire. It is mostly done for political or religious reasons, often as a form of protest or in acts of martyrdom, and known for its disturbing and violent nature.
Etymology
The English word '' ...
in what Issaoui said was a protest against Tunisia's “police state”.
During his funeral, demonstrators started throwing stones at police, who retaliated with
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...
.
Personal life
Issaoui had four children.
References
External links
*
1987 births
2023 deaths
Al-Orobah FC players
Men's association football forwards
Expatriate men's footballers in Saudi Arabia
Tunisian expatriate men's footballers
Tunisian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Tunisian men's footballers
21st-century Tunisian sportsmen
Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 players
US Monastir (football) players
Suicides by self-immolation
2023 suicides
Suicides in Tunisia
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