Algerian winger Bachir Belloumi inspires Hull City to Wembley final

Algerian international Bachir Belloumi produced a match-winning display for Hull City AFC on Monday evening, scoring and assisting in a 2-0 victory that secured the club’s place in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Introduced shortly before half-time in the second-leg semi-final, Belloumi transformed the match with a decisive contribution that left teammates, coaches and even opponents praising his impact.

The winger broke the deadlock in the 64th minute with a curling left-footed effort after a tightly contested encounter. He then played a key role again later in the match by setting up Joe Gelhardt for Hull City’s second goal in the 79th minute.

The victory booked Hull City a place in the play-off final, where they will face Southampton FC at Wembley on May 23 after Southampton eliminated Middlesbrough in the other semi-final.

Belloumi’s performance was particularly significant given the difficult period he has endured over the past year. The son of Algerian football legend Lakhdar Belloumi returned this season after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out previously, while two separate thigh injuries also disrupted his campaign.

Despite those setbacks, the 23-year-old delivered when it mattered most, earning widespread praise after the match.

Millwall manager Alex Neil admitted his side had specifically prepared to stop Belloumi cutting inside onto his stronger foot.

“Their player (Belloumi) cut inside onto his left foot, something we’d been discussing all week to prevent. We know how dangerous he is when he does that. Both wingers cut inside. We managed to contain him for a game and a half, but we didn’t manage him well enough.”

Hull City captain Lewie Coyle also praised the Algerian winger’s influence and determination following his recovery from injury.

“He’s incredible. We’re very fortunate to have so many players who can come on and influence the game. We all know what this lad is capable of. I’m really happy for him. He had an extremely difficult injury, but it says a lot about him and the recovery team that he’s come back like this.”

Teammate Oli McBurnie added: “Mo is brilliant. He can become anything he wants. He may have been a little unlucky not to start, but the coach obviously knew what he was doing, because they both [along with Joe Gelhardt] came on and scored.”

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović explained the decision to leave Belloumi on the bench initially.

“He was very tired and felt fatigue in both hamstrings as well as his Achilles tendon, so the plan was to bring him on in the second half. It was an excellent substitution and a very good decision. Now I look very clever, but if it doesn’t work out I look like a fool. It’s always like that.”