Hédi Berkhissa
- January 4, 1997
- 24 years
- heart attack
About Hédi Berkhissa
Hédi Berkhissa, 24, Tunisian footballer, heart attack.
Explore other notable deaths in 1997 or deaths in January 1997.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Hédi Berkhissa?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Hédi «Balha» Berkhissa (28 June 1972 – 4 January 1997) was a Tunisian footballer who played for Espérance and the Tunisian National Team as a defender.
Early life
Born on the island of Kerkennah off the coast of Tunisia on June 28, 1972, to a Tunisian father and Algerian mother, Berkhissa left with his family to settle in France; however, he returned six years later to learn Arabic. Inability to settle there made him decided to move back to France in 1981. He returned permanently to Tunisia with his family when he was 16. Having played football while living in France he joined his local team in the capital, Espérance.
Career
Berkhissa made his first appearance for Espérance when he was 18 years old. It was a dream debut on 31 January 1991 in the Tunis derby against local rivals Club Africain, with the game ending in a draw. He scored his first league goal for Espérance in the Tunis derby against Club Africain a game which ended in a 2–0 victory for Espérance. In total, Berkhissa made 98 league appearances for the club, scoring 9 goals. He also made 13 appearances in the Tunisian President Cup and made 24 appearances in African club competitions scoring 2 memorable goals in one game against Egyptian giants Al Zamalek.
Death
On 4 January 1997, in a friendly match between Espérance and French side Lyon at Stade Chedli Zouiten, Berkhissa had a heart attack on the field in the last minutes of the game and died.
Honours
- Chosen as the Tunisian Player Of the Year in 1995
- Chosen as the Arab Player Of the Year in 1995
- Won the Tunisian League three times with Espérance in 1991, 1993 and 1994
- Won the Tunisian President Cup once with Espérance in 1991
- Won the African Champions League once with Espérance in 1994
- Won the CAF Super Cup once with Espérance in 1995
- Won the Arab Club Champions Cup with Espérance in 1993
- Won the Afro-Asian Club Championship with Espérance in 1995
- Won the Arab Super Cup with Espérance in 1996
- Finalist of the African Cup of Nations once with Tunisia in 1996
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Hédi Berkhissa on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9di_Berkhissa
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 14 questions
Questions drawn from Hédi Berkhissa's archived record and the sources above.
1.Where was Hédi Berkhissa born?
- A.Kerkennahcorrect
- B.Algiers
- C.Tunis
- D.Lyon
Hédi Berkhissa was born on the island of Kerkennah off the coast of Tunisia.
Source: early life section
2.What position did Hédi Berkhissa play for the Tunisian National Team?
- A.Goalkeeper
- B.Forward
- C.Midfielder
- D.Defendercorrect
Hédi Berkhissa was a footballer who played as a defender.
Source: biographical introduction
3.How old was Hédi Berkhissa when he made his first appearance for Espérance?
- A.20
- B.18correct
- C.22
- D.16
Hédi Berkhissa made his first appearance for Espérance when he was 18 years old.
Source: career section
4.Against which club did Hédi Berkhissa make his debut in the Tunis derby?
- A.Tunisia national team
- B.Lyon
- C.Al Zamalek
- D.Club Africaincorrect
Hédi Berkhissa made his dream debut on 31 January 1991 in the Tunis derby against Club Africain.
Source: career section
5.How many total league appearances did Hédi Berkhissa make for Espérance?
- A.88
- B.108
- C.98correct
- D.118
Hédi Berkhissa made 98 league appearances for the club.
Source: career section
6.Against which team did Hédi Berkhissa score 2 memorable goals in one game?
- A.Club Africain
- B.Kerkennah FC
- C.Lyon
- D.Al Zamalekcorrect
Hédi Berkhissa scored 2 memorable goals in one game against Egyptian giants Al Zamalek.
Source: career section
7.During which event did Hédi Berkhissa suffer a fatal heart attack?
- A.A national team match
- B.A league final
- C.A friendly matchcorrect
- D.A training session
Hédi Berkhissa had a heart attack on the field during a friendly match between Espérance and Lyon.
Source: death section
8.What award did Hédi Berkhissa receive in 1995?
- A.World Player Of the Year
- B.European Golden Boot
- C.Top Scorer of the African Cup
- D.Tunisian Player Of the Yearcorrect
Hédi Berkhissa was chosen as the Tunisian Player Of the Year in 1995.
Source: honours section
9.How many times did Hédi Berkhissa win the Tunisian League with Espérance?
- A.Four times
- B.Once
- C.Three timescorrect
- D.Twice
Hédi Berkhissa won the Tunisian League three times with Espérance in 1991, 1993 and 1994.
Source: honours section
10.Which title did Hédi Berkhissa win with Espérance in 1993?
- A.Arab Club Champions Cupcorrect
- B.CAF Super Cup
- C.African Champions League
- D.Afro-Asian Club Championship
Hédi Berkhissa won the Arab Club Champions Cup with Espérance in 1993.
Source: honours section
11.What was the final outcome of the 1996 African Cup of Nations for Hédi Berkhissa?
- A.Semi-finalist
- B.Winner
- C.Finalistcorrect
- D.Quarter-finalist
Hédi Berkhissa was a finalist of the African Cup of Nations once with Tunisia in 1996.
Source: honours section
12.Where did the friendly match take place where Hédi Berkhissa died?
- A.Stade Chedli Zouitencorrect
- B.Stade Olympique de Radès
- C.Stade de France
- D.Kerkennah Stadium
The friendly match between Espérance and Lyon was held at Stade Chedli Zouiten.
Source: death section
13.What was the score of the game where Hédi Berkhissa scored his first league goal for Espérance?
- A.1-0
- B.2-1
- C.3-1
- D.2-0correct
Hédi Berkhissa scored his first league goal in a game that ended in a 2-0 victory for Espérance.
Source: career section
14.On what date was Hédi Berkhissa born?
- A.15 July 1970
- B.12 August 1975
- C.28 June 1972correct
- D.4 January 1997
Hédi Berkhissa was born on 28 June 1972.
Source: early life section
People who died on January 4
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Hédi Berkhissa →Advertisement
