Houssam Eddine Ghacha (born 22 October 1995) is an Algerian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 club USM Alger and the Algeria national team.

Club career ES Sétif On 17 July 2018 Ghacha made his ES Sétif debut as a starter in the 2018 CAF Champions League group stage against Difaâ El Jadidi. Ghacha had an assist and scored the winning goal in the 89th minute to give Sétif the 2–1 victory.

Antalyaspor On 22 July 2021, Houssem Eddine Ghacha joined Turkish club Antalyaspor on a three-year contract, leaving ES Sétif after three seasons with the club. He had attracted interest from several clubs following an impressive second half of the 2020–21 season, including USM Alger and French Ligue 1 side FC Nantes. Ghacha ultimately chose to continue his career in Europe and made the move to Turkey.

On 5 January 2022, Ghacha started for Antalyaspor in the 2021 Turkish Super Cup against Beşiktaş, held at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. The match ended 1–1 after extra time, with Beşiktaş winning 4–2 on penalties. Ghacha was substituted in the 64th minute, with Antalyaspor trailing 1–0 at the time.

On 28 December 2021, Houssem Ghacha impressed in Antalyaspor’s 2–1 victory over Giresunspor in the round of 32 of the Turkish Cup, scoring the opening goal of the match. Ghacha headed home a powerful finish to give his team the lead at half-time. With this goal, Ghacha brought his total to three goals in the Turkish Cup and four goals in all competitions for the club, having previously scored once in the Süper Lig against İstanbul Başakşehir.

Espérance de Tunis On 25 July 2023, Houssem Ghacha joined the Espérance de Tunis on a two-year contract, running until June 2025. He joined the Tunisian club after leaving Antalyaspor, where he had spent two seasons in the Süper Lig. On 2 September 2023, Ghacha scored his first goal for Espérance Sportive de Tunis in a 3–2 victory over ES Métlaoui. Starting the match, he scored in the 75th minute to give his team the winning goal after the first half had ended 2–2.

In December 2023, Ghacha suffered a muscle injury during Espérance's CAF Champions League group stage match against Petro de Luanda, with Ghacha forced to leave the field before the end of the game. Following medical examinations, he was ruled out for approximately four weeks before undergoing further tests to determine his readiness to return to competition.

In May 2024, Ghacha was part of the Espérance squad that reached the CAF Champions League final, where they faced Al Ahly of Egypt. The Tunisian side were defeated 1–0 on aggregate, following a goalless draw in the first leg and a 1–0 defeat in the return leg. At the end of the season, Ghacha won his first Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 title. The club secured the championship after defeating US Monastir 2–0 at home on 15 June 2024, with one match remaining in the play-offs. After one season with Espérance de Tunis, Ghacha left the club in the summer of 2024. His departure came after an underwhelming season, as he returned to Algeria. Before leaving Tunis, Ghacha paid tribute to his teammates and Espérance supporters in a post on his Facebook page, expressing his appreciation for the club and recalling the intense moments he had experienced during his time with the Tunisian side.

USM Alger On 18 July 2024, USM Alger announced the signing of Houssem Ghacha from Espérance de Tunis. The Algerian winger signed a three-year contract with the club, keeping him at USM Alger until June 2027. Ghacha made his debut for USM Alger in the opening round of the Ligue 1, starting against NC Magra. Ghacha scored his first goal for the club on 6 October 2024 against MC El Bayadh, netting the only goal of the match to secure a 1–0 victory.

On 5 February 2025, Ghacha impressed in USM Alger’s 3–0 victory over USM Khenchela, scoring twice in the second half. With USM Alger already leading, Ghacha scored in the 71st and 79th minutes to extend his team’s advantage and secure a convincing victory. His performance made him one of the key contributors to the Rouge et Noir’s win. Houssem Ghacha was part of USM Alger's squad during the successful 2024–25 Algerian Cup campaign. He won his first title with the club as USM Alger defeated CR Belouizdad 2–0 in the final.

During the 2025–26 season, Houssem Ghacha became an increasingly important player in USM Alger's attacking setup. At that stage of the season, he had recorded six goals and eight assists in all competitions, including a hat-trick in the Algerian Cup against MO Constantine. His performances contributed to his growing importance within the team's attacking setup. At the end of the season, Ghacha was considered an important member of USM Alger's attacking unit by head coach Lamine N'Diaye.

Despite going more than a month without scoring, he remained an important player in the team's attacking play, with N'Diaye continuing to rely on his experience and offensive qualities. Near the end of the season, Ghacha suffered a meniscus injury during the Algiers derby against MC Alger, which ultimately ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign. Despite his injury, Ghacha ended the season with two titles. The club won the Algerian Cup after defeating CR Belouizdad in the final, before winning the CAF Confederation Cup against Zamalek SC.

On 23 August 2026, USM Alger extended Houssem Ghacha's contract for two additional seasons as part of the club's efforts to retain key players and maintain squad stability, keeping him at the club until 2029.

Career statistics Club

ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAmal Bou Saâda2015–16 Ligue 2200———2002016–17272———272Total472———472USM Blida2017–18 Ligue 123140——271ES Sétif2018–19 Ligue 1271716All appearance(s) in Champions League2—4042019–2018741——2282020–212510—4All appearance(s) in CAF Confederation Cup01All appearance(s) in Algerian League Cup13011Total7018112102119223Antalyaspor2021–22 Süper Lig32153—1All appearance(s) in Turkish Super Cup03742022–2325020——270Total57173—10644ES Tunis2023–24 Ligue 1 Pro142—1713 appearances in CAF Champions League, 4 appearances in African Football League02All appearance(s) in 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup0332USM Alger2024–25 Ligue 123651101—3882025–26202441131All appearances in Algerian Super Cup03692026–270000000000Total43895214107417Career total2533231104865133749

Honours Espérance de Tunis Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1: 2023–24 USM Alger Algerian Cup: 2024–25, 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup: 2025–26

References

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