*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 July 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2021
Ouwo Moussa Maâzoupronunciationⓘ (born 25 August 1988) commonly known as Moussa Maâzou, is a Nigerien professional footballer who plays as a striker for Luxembourgish club FC The Belval Belvaux.
Club career
Maazou began his senior career as a player with Niger's Army club, ASFAN of Niamey.[1] In 2005–2006 Maazou scored 17 goals.[2] In the 2006–2007 season with ASFAN,[3] he scored 20 goals in 34 matches.[4]
In January 2008, Belgian side Sporting Lokeren signed him. He scored six goals in his first nine matches. On 3 January 2009, Maâzou signed a contract with CSKA Moscow. The club paid Sporting Lokeren €4.8 million for Maâzou. He was immediately loaned back to Lokeren until 1 July 2009.[5] After CSKA qualified for the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup 2008–09, he was called back from the loan and on 12 March 2009 was registered as a CSKA player.[6] In January 2010 Maâzou left Russia, signing a six-month loan deal, with an option for a permanent move when his loan spell ends, with AS Monaco.[7] The following season Maâzou joined FC Girondins de Bordeaux on a one-year loan, again with an option to purchase.[8] At the end of January 2011 Maâzou returned to AS Monaco on another six-month,[9] but after only one game injured his knee in training and would require surgery.[10]
In February 2012, Maâzou signed for Le Mans on a six-month loan deal,[11] before moving to Tunisian side Étoile du Sahel on a three-year contract during the summer of 2012.[12] After terminating his contract with Tunisian side Étoile du Sahel, Maâzou signed for Vitória Guimarães in Portugal in July 2013.[13]
He switched to another Portuguese club, Marítimo in August 2014.[14] On 28 January 2015, at that point the Portuguese top flight's second top goalscorer of the season with nine goals, Maâzou transferred to Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai.[15]
In February 2016, Maâzou moved to Danish side Randers.[16]
In July 2016, AC Ajaccio announced the signing of Maâzou on a one-year deal, with an option of a further year.[17]
A year later, on 31 August 2017, Maâzou signed for RC Lens on a three-year contract.[18]
In December 2018, he agreed a mutual termination of his contract with RC Lens.[19]
In April 2015, Maâzou announced his retirement from the Niger national football team at the age of 26, after having earned 30 caps and scored seven international goals. He credited the dismissal of manager Gernot Rohr in the previous October as a reason for his decision.[21]
However, in October he returned to the national team, scoring two goals against Somalia national football team in the campaign for 2018 World Cup.
International goals
Scores and results list Niger's goal tally first.[22]
^Vasconcelos, Gonçalo (28 January 2015). "Maazou transferido para a China" [Maâzou transferred to China]. Record (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^Vilas, Nicolas (3 April 2014). "Maazou dit stop à la sélection du Niger" [Maâzou says "no more" to the Niger national team] (in French). Eurosport. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
