Name any position on a football pitch, and chances are Boualem Khoukhi has played there. Well, perhaps not in goal, at least not yet.

When he arrived in Qatar as a teenager in 2009 to join Al-Arabi from Algerian side JSM Cheraga, he was an unknown. Seventeen years later, he has become one of Qatar’s most dependable figures, a player whose value has been defined by his adaptability as much as his consistency. He has played as a forward, operated on the wing, and stepped into midfield when required, before ultimately settling into the heart of defence where he has grown into a mainstay, particularly following his move to Al-Sadd in 2017.

From his early impact as the top scorer at the WAFF Championship to netting in the 2014 Gulf Cup final, and then anchoring the defence during the 2019 Asian Cup triumph where Qatar conceded just once, Khoukhi has repeatedly delivered in defining moments. Even as age has introduced signs of decline – he only featured sparingly at the 2023 Asian Cup title defence – every coach has leaned on him for his enduring quality, and his header in the decisive World Cup qualifier against the UAE served as another reminder of that.