Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan

Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan (born 3 November 1996), known as Mu'azzam, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian club Beerschot.

Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-11-03) 3 November 1996
Place of birth Kano, Nigeria
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Beerschot
Number 8
Youth career
2012–2015 F.C. Heart Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Wikki Tourists 5 (2)
2016–2018 Akwa United 16 (12)
2017–2018 → Austria Wien (loan) 20 (1)
2018–2022 Nacional 71 (2)
2022– Beerschot 23 (1)
International career‡
Nigeria U17
2015 Nigeria U20 4 (0)
2017– Nigeria 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 May 2019

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.

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 2015–16 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

At the end of the 2015–16 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

Alhassan signed on a one-year loan with a three-year extension option with FK Austria Wien on 25 August 2017.

Nacional

In 2018, Alhassan joined Portuguese club Nacional.

Beerschot

In the summer of 2022, Alhassan signed a two-year contract with Beerschot in Belgium.[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 Nigeria national football team.[9]

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

References
  1. "Alhassan delighted with Wikki debut". Goal.com. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  2. "Alhassan grabs hat trick for Akwa while Nasarawa run riot in NPFL - ESPN FC". Espnfc.us. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. admin. "Goals crown 'Muazam' top earner at Akwa United". Score Nigeria. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  5. Onyese, Linus (16 April 2017). "See a high earner in the NPFL: He earns thousands of dollars". FCNaija. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  6. admin. "DISGRACEFUL! Hell breaks loose in Kano after Pillars fall to Akwa United". Score Nigeria. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  7. "IBRAHIM ALHASSAN JOINS BEERSCHOT". Beerschot. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  8. "CAF - Competitions - 19th Edition of the African Under 20 Championship - Team Details - Player List". Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  9. "Super Eagles have first training session in Corsica". Goal.com. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  10. "League Bloggers Award April 2017". Archived from the original on 28 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
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