Rafik Saifi, Algerian World Cup Player, SLAPS Female Reporter

(AP) PRETORIA, South Africa -- Algeria striker Rafik Saifi has been involved in an altercation with a journalist after his team was eliminated from the World Cup.

The incident following Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the United States happened at Loftus Versfeld.

A female reporter from an Algerian publication was heard shouting at Saifi, who left the stadium holding his lip and refusing to respond to questions.

Algeria finished at the bottom of Group C with just one point and was eliminated from the tournament.

--

UPDATE 1: According to Yahoo's Martin Rogers, Saifi slapped the reporter. Rogers writes that the reporter, Asma Halimi, responded by hitting the Algerian player in the mouth. Read his full report here for more info.

UPDATE 2: SportsByBrooks looked into the pair's history. In 2009 Halimi, the reporter, wrote about Saifi's family life.

UPDATE 3: The AP obtained a photograph following the altercation:

Comments

[botan]

05:25 PM on 06/25/2010

From the looks of the photo above it looks like she may have smacked him back. I say good for her.

[JacksonHts]

04:06 PM on 06/25/2010

Maybe she told him he had really bad teeth......

[Pansey]

07:30 PM on 06/24/2010

Sure seems to be a lot of hissy fits in this sport.

[ReelBusy]

05:00 PM on 06/24/2010

He's a lucky man, he didn't hit my wife.

[Kopie]

04:02 PM on 06/24/2010

knee to his vuvuzela

[Liberal Peach]

10:07 AM on 06/25/2010

Faved!

[bushlies]

02:33 PM on 06/28/2010

Absolutely!

[Blitzkrieg Barbie]

03:55 PM on 06/24/2010

Imagine what the world would be like if no one resorted to violence as a first response.

[kctlaw]

03:59 PM on 06/25/2010

Imagine what the world would be like if no one resorted to soccer as a form of entertainment.

[Hanforder]

08:53 PM on 06/25/2010

Or if they turned the other cheek, or didn't encourage hitting back.

[Blitzkrieg Barbie]

10:17 PM on 06/25/2010

Touché!

[roger37]

10:19 PM on 06/26/2010

Yeah, but women worldwide have been doing that since prehistory, so if they want to start hitting back, they deserve it.

You go, girl. Clock him upside the head!

[frixx]

03:38 PM on 06/24/2010

Sounds like he got the worst of it.

Aren't futbol players not supposed to use their hands?

[dct1999]

03:26 PM on 06/24/2010

He hit a woman because he didn't like the question she asked? He's a bich.

[Alex Da Ponte Melo]

02:38 PM on 06/24/2010

Let me see if I get this. He married a French woman, gave an interview about that, the journalist translated that interview and an year later he punches her in the face because he didn't wanted people to know....Could he more stupid???

[anitaj]

04:48 PM on 06/24/2010

It would be tricky, but Mr. Saifi sounds like the sort of fellow who might just be able to pull it off.

[Usama]

07:49 PM on 06/24/2010

Like that handball in the box, you mean.... lol. Funny one.

[Dosadi]

05:31 PM on 06/24/2010

Nope!

[ladydragon]

02:15 PM on 06/24/2010

exriel: are you excusing the athlete for doing something inappropriate so that he needed to be cold-cocked. it doesn't matter what was said, obviously she was offended enough that she slammed him in the mouth, Good For Her!

[exriel]

02:09 PM on 06/24/2010

I feel like we know basically nothing about what happened and yet the comments on this board are almost universally in favor of the reporter, as if she is some champion of the little guy, finally taking a stand against the oppression of athletes 'round the world. It seems like these two have some history and that maybe, just maybe, the reporter crossed a line with a question or comment and the athlete lashed out. We don't know what was said and violence is never the answer, but if someone came up to you after you just got fired and insulted your mother, how would you react?

[theobsoleteman]

02:30 PM on 06/24/2010

What exactly could that female reporter have said that would have made hitting her justified? My answer is there are no words that could excuse it. Men who hit women are thugs - for me, it really is that simple. She said something - he responded by hitting her. That is all that needs to be known. There are other ways he could have expressed his anger at whatever it was that she said, but he chose violence. Bad day? I don't care. She said something inflammatory or offensive? I don't care. He's a thug.

[krallfan]

02:32 PM on 06/24/2010

I would probably say something harsh back to him/her then move along. If I hit the person, I am wrong no matter what gender they are because I have no right putting my hands on ANYBODY, male or female. I don't live on a TV show. I cannot go around assaulting folks in public just because I feel like it. They put you in jail for that.

IMO, it really does not matter what she said to him. The fact that he hit a woman makes him a lowlife that a) does not know how to handle his emotions and b) picks on people that he perceives to be weaker than him.

The only justification that he could possible have in hitting her is if she had told him that she killed a member of his family.

[theobsoleteman]

01:51 PM on 06/24/2010

Awwww, the poor little athlete was holding his lip, all sad and mopey because he lost. GOOD. Too bad the reporter didn't hit him with something heavy. If you're a guy and you think it's cool to hit a woman, you deserve a good beating - this guy got off easy.

[Skeptical Cicada]

01:32 PM on 06/24/2010

Cheers to her for hitting him back!!!

[Dyskresiac]

01:26 PM on 06/24/2010

How is this news? "Athletes are A-holes." REALLY? NO WAY!


How about:"Reporter punches star socker player." THAT is an article I'll read.

[Koolmorning]

01:25 PM on 06/24/2010

"Asma Halimi, responded by hitting the Algerian player in the mouth."

He's lucky.
Girls like her go for the groin area when provoked.