Introduction
Nabil Ghilas (born 20 April 1990) is an Algerian professional footballer who plays for Turkish club Gaziantepspor on loan from FC Porto, and the Algeria national team, as a striker.
Club career
Early years / Moreirense
Born in Marseille, France, Ghilas only played amateur football in the country. In 2010, aged 20, he transferred to Moreirense F.C. in Portugal, being immediately loaned to F.C. Vizela in the third division. He returned for the 2011–12 season, helping his club return to the Primeira Liga after a seven-year absence.
Ghilas appeared in all 30 games for the Moreira de Cónegos side in the 2012–13 campaign, scoring 13 goals in the league and 16 overall. Highlights included braces in home wins against C.D. Nacional (3–1) and S.C. Beira-Mar (3–0), but his team suffered immediate relegation back.
Porto
On 8 July 2013, Ghilas joined FC Porto on a four-year contract for a fee rumoured to be around €3 million, with a buyout clause of €30m. He made his official debut for the club on 22 September, playing injury time in a 2–2 draw at G.D. Estoril Praia.
Ghilas scored his first goal for the northerners on 5 February 2014, against the same opponent for a 2–1 home win in the season's Portuguese Cup. His second came 22 days later, as he netted the 3–3 at Eintracht Frankfurt for the UEFA Europa League's round-of-32 and Porto progressed 5–5 on aggregate; on both occasions, he came on as a second-half substitute.
On 1 September 2014, Ghilas was loaned to Spanish club Córdoba CF. He made his La Liga debut on 12 September, replacing Mike Havenaar in the 59th minute of a 1–1 away draw against UD Almería.
Ghilas scored his first goal for the Andalusians on 18 October, netting his team's only in a 1–2 home loss to Málaga CF. On 10 July 2015, he moved to fellow league team Levante UD on loan for one year.
International career
Ghilas was called up to the Algeria national team for the first time in March 2013, for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Benin, but did not play in the match. He gained his first cap on 9 June against the same opponent and for the same competition, replacing Islam Slimani in the 74th minute and scoring the last goal in a 3–1 away win.
Ghilas made his World Cup debut on 17 June 2014, playing the last six minutes of a 1–2 group stage loss to Belgium in Belo Horizonte.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 June 2013 | Mustapha Tchaker, Blida, Algeria |  Benin |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2014 World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 31 May 2014 | Tourbillon, Sion, Switzerland |  Armenia |
2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
Personal life
Ghilas' older brother, Kamel, is also a footballer and a forward. He too played in France, Portugal, and for Algeria.
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cassis Carnoux | 2009–10 | CFA | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1 | ||
| Vizela | 2010–11 | Portuguese Second Division | 26 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 6 | ||
| Moreirense | 2011–12 | Segunda Liga | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 24 | 4 | |
| 2012–13 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 36 | 16 | ||
| Subtotal | 47 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | — | 60 | 20 | |||
| Porto | 2013–14 | Primeira Liga | 16 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 32 | 4 |
| Córdoba (loan) | 2014–15 | La Liga | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 7 | ||
| Levante (loan) | 2015–16 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| Gaziantepspor (loan) | 2016–17 | Süper Lig | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 162 | 31 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 194 | 39 | ||
Honours
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2013