Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan

Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan
Personal information
Full name Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan
Date of birth (1996-11-03) 3 November 1996
Place of birth Kano, Nigeria
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 3 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Nacional
Number 6
Youth career
2012–2015 F.C. Heart Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Wikki 5 (2)
2016– Akwa United F.C. 16 (12)
2017–2018 → FK Austria Wien (loan) 25 (2)
2018– Nacional 5 (0)
National team‡
2015 Nigeria U20 4 (0)
2017– Nigeria 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 October 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 June 2017

Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan (born 3 November 1996), known as Mu'azzam, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for plays for Nacional in Primeira Liga. He made his is league debut in the Nigerian Premier Football League in June 2016 while playing for Wikki Tourists against Kano Pillars F.C. in Bauchi.

Club career

Early career

Alhassan was born in Kano and grew up supporting Nigerian league giants Kano Pillars. He was youth player for F.C. Hearts Academy and the Nigerian U-17 and U-20 youth sides. He formed an effective partnership with Kelechi Iheanacho at the U-17 level, was the joint-top-scorer in the U-17 world-cup qualifiers. He went on to successfully represent the Nigerian U-20 team in 2015.

Wikki Tourists F.C. (2016)

In late 2015, after receiving offers from teams in Belgium, England, Sweden and Croatia, Alhassan suffered an injury after trials at HNK Rijeka. After recovering, and seeking to maintain his fitness, midway through the 2015-2016 NPFL season he signed a 6-month deal with the Nigeria Professional Football League side Wikki Tourists. He made his league debut in June 2016 against Kano Pillars F.C. in Bauchi. He came on as a second-half substitute to turn the game on its head by scoring two late goals against his hometown club. Already well known as the prodigy dubbed Mu'azzam around his state, the 3-1 upset loss for Pillars did not go down well with the travelling Kano supporters.[1]

Akwa United (2017-)

At the end of the 2015-2016 NPFL season, Alhassan decided to follow mentor-coach Abdu Maikaba from Wikki to Akwa United F.C as he enjoyed his ongoing development under Maikaba’s tutelage. He immediately became a focal point of his new team's attacks alongside midfield maestro Orji Sylvester Amaechi. Mu'azzam scored his first career hat-trick in April 2017 against Shooting Stars in a 4-2 win in Uyo.[2] He had a total of 10 goals at the halfway point (May 2017) of the season,[3] after which Akwa United negotiated an improved deal with F.C. Heart Academy to make him the highest earning player at the club and joint highest in the league alongside Super Eagles goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa.[4][5] Mu'azzam provided the assist to Christian Pyagbara's goal in the 0-1 away win against Kano Pillars in a well rounded performance to rouse Kano fans for a second-straight year.[6] He went on to win the April 2017 League Bloggers Awards for Player of the month alongside his mentor-coach Maikaba.

FK Austria Wien (2017-2018)

He signed on a 1-year loan with 3-year extension option with FK Austria Wien on Friday 25 August 2017. He made his is league debut in the Nigerian Premier Football League in June 2016 while playing for Wikki Tourists against Kano Pillars F.C. in Bauchi.

C.S. Marítimo (2018-2018)

On 25 June 2018 Alhassan signed a three year professional contract with Marítimo.[7]

International career

Alhassan has represented Nigerian youth teams at the U-17 and U-20 level. He was part of the Nigeria at the CAF U-20 Championship 2015. He made four appearances as the Nigerian team went on to win the championship.[8] In May 2017, he was called up to the Nigerian National team.[9]

Style of Play

Standing at 6-foot-3 1/2 -inches, Mu'azzam impressively displays a repertoire of flicks, tricks and close-control reminiscent to the days of a lanky 17-year-old Nwankwo Kanu in the Nigerian League. He has combined his good pace, dribbling (and a penchant for "finesse" shots) with a striker's instinct to devastating effect. This could be seen as early as his very first league game, where his positioning and trickery led to a penalty, and two red cards to Kano Pillars' defenders following his introduction. Like his idol Kanu, he loves to chip or round the goalkeeper before slotting home and has started several games in attacking midfield.

Honours

  • Player of the Month, NPFL League Bloggers Award: April 2017[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Alhassan delighted with Wikki debut". Goal.com. 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  2. ↑ "Alhassan grabs hat trick for Akwa while Nasarawa run riot in NPFL - ESPN FC". Espnfc.us. 2017-04-03. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  3. ↑ "{title}" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-16. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  4. ↑ admin. "Goals crown 'Muazam' top earner at Akwa United". Score Nigeria. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  5. ↑ Start, Author (2017-04-16). "See a high earner in the NPFL: He earns thousands of dollars". FCNaija. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  6. ↑ admin. "DISGRACEFUL! Hell breaks loose in Kano after Pillars fall to Akwa United". Score Nigeria. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  7. ↑ "Alhassan é um médio internacional nigeriano: "Tenho enorme vontade em jogar"" [Alhassan is a Nigerian international midfielder: "I have huge will to play"] (in Portuguese). csmaritimo.org.pt. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  8. ↑ http://www.cafonline.com/en-us/competitions/19theditionoftheafricanunder20championship/teamdetails/playerlist.aspx?TeamsIDs=oM8UH7fJQJZg%2fgmD0L%2f6XyOkyaQn45fIqgJeZTTuC1ZYTdQGTcUCvP4e42L9Qr1l
  9. ↑ "Super Eagles have first training session in Corsica". Goal.com. 2017-05-24. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  10. ↑ "League Bloggers Award April 2017".
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