Modibo Maïga

Modibo Maïga
Born	(1987-09-03) September 3, 1987 Bamako, Mali
Occupation	Professional footballer
Years active	2003–present
Known for	Football striker, Mali national team

Modibo Maïga (born 3 September 1987) is a professional footballer from Mali who operates primarily as a striker.

Having represented Mali internationally since 2007, Maïga has competed in four editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, playing a key role in securing third-place finishes in both the 2012 and 2013 tournaments.

Raja Casablanca

Originating from Bamako, Maïga launched his football journey at Stade Malien when he was just 15 years old in 2003. He subsequently transferred to Moroccan side Raja CA Casablanca, where he achieved multiple honors, including triumphs in the Arab Champions League and the Botola (Moroccan top division).

Le Mans

At 20, Maïga transitioned to French football by signing with Ligue 1 club Le Mans in 2007. There, he shared the pitch with players like Gervinho and Stéphane Sessègnon, solidifying his presence in French football. Despite Le Mans suffering relegation to Ligue 2, Maïga managed to net 15 goals across 88 appearances. In 2010, he secured a four-year deal with Sochaux, adopting the number 15 jersey.

Sochaux

During the 2010–11 season, Maïga formed an effective striking duo with Brown Ideye, each contributing 15 goals, collectively accounting for more than half of Sochaux’s league goals. Supported by creative midfielders such as Marvin Martin and Ryad Boudebouz, the club qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League.

On 12 August 2011, Maïga publicly announced his intention to leave Sochaux, expressing a desire to join Newcastle United. He declined to participate in matches against Caen and Nancy, although he did appear in fixtures against Metalist Kharkiv and Lorient. Both he and teammate Kévin Anin were unable to secure transfers and faced backlash from supporters, who temporarily withdrew their backing due to perceived poor performances and attitudes.

By October, it was reported that Maïga was nearing a move to Newcastle during the January 2012 transfer window. In December, he reportedly underwent a medical examination in London with a transfer fee estimated around £7 million; however, L'Equipe later revealed that he failed this medical assessment, causing the transfer to collapse.

West Ham United

Following the conclusion of the 2011–12 season with Sochaux, on 18 July 2012 Maïga signed a four-year contract with West Ham United, which included an option for an additional two years, for an undisclosed sum. He made his first appearance on 18 August 2012 as an 81st-minute substitute during a 1–0 home victory over Aston Villa.

Maïga found the net on his first full home start on 28 August in the League Cup second round against Crewe Alexandra, helping secure a 2–0 win. His inaugural league goal arrived on 20 October in a commanding 4–1 triumph over Southampton at Upton Park. Further league goals included strikes during a notable 3–1 victory against Chelsea on 1 December 2012—West Ham’s first win against Chelsea since 2003—and a long-range effort contributing to a thrilling 3–3 draw with West Bromwich Albion on 20 December 2013. On 18 December 2013, he scored the decisive goal in a 2–1 League Cup win at Tottenham Hotspur, ending a goal drought that had lasted over a year. Despite mixed reviews from supporters, then-manager Sam Allardyce publicly praised Maïga’s impact.

After returning from a season-long loan spell at Metz, Maïga featured in four of West Ham's six Europa League qualifying matches during the 2015–16 campaign but failed to score. He made his Premier League season debut on 9 August as a late substitute in a 2–0 away victory over Arsenal. On 22 August, he scored West Ham’s third goal in a high-scoring 3–4 loss against Bournemouth, which marked his last appearance for the club.

Queens Park Rangers (loan)

On 31 January 2014, Maïga secured a loan move to Queens Park Rangers for the remainder of the 2013–14 campaign. He made his first appearance on 1 February, coming off the bench to score in the 79th minute during a thrilling 3–3 draw with Burnley. This goal remained his sole strike for QPR.

Metz (loan)

In August 2014, Maïga was loaned to French side Metz for the entire season, with an option to make the transfer permanent in summer 2015. He marked his debut on 1 November by netting twice in a 3–2 win against Caen. On 4 April 2015, he achieved a hat-trick in a decisive 3–2 victory over Toulouse. Over 25 league outings, Maïga scored nine goals; however, Metz concluded the season in 19th place in Ligue 1, resulting in relegation to Ligue 2.

Al-Nassr

In August 2015, Maïga inked a two-year deal with Saudi club Al-Nassr for an undisclosed transfer fee.

Al-Ittihad Kalba

After parting ways with Al-Nassr in July 2016, Maïga signed with UAE Arabian Gulf League team Al-Ittihad Kalba in October of the same year.

Ajman Club

Maïga joined UAE Arabian Gulf League outfit Ajman on a free transfer in September 2017.

Hajer

On 3 September 2021, Maïga agreed to terms with Saudi club Hajer. His contract was terminated on 23 January 2023.

Al-Jeel

The following day, on 24 January 2023, Maïga signed for Saudi side Al-Jeel.

International career

Maïga earned his first cap for Mali on 17 November 2007 as a substitute during a friendly loss to Senegal. He scored his inaugural international goal on 21 June 2009 in a World Cup qualifying match, leveling the score in a 3–1 triumph over Benin.

Wearing the number 10 jersey at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, he featured in all three group stage matches before Mali's exit. Selected again for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Maïga contracted malaria during the tournament held in Gabon and was sidelined for the remainder; Mali secured third place. He replicated this third-place achievement with Mali at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

During the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Equatorial Guinea, Maïga scored an important header to equalize against Guinea in the final group fixture; despite this, Mali was eliminated by drawing of lots.

Club

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Le Mans	2007–08	Ligue 1	19	0	2	0	1	0	—		—		22	0
	2008–09		37	8	3	0	1	0	—		—		41	8
	2009–10		32	7	1	0	2	0	—		—		35	7
	Total		88	15	6	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	98	15
Sochaux	2010–11	Ligue 1	36	15	2	1	1	0	—		—		39	16
	2011–12		23	9	1	0	0	0	1	0	—		25	9
	Total		59	24	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	64	25
West Ham United	2012–13	Premier League	17	2	0	0	2	2	—		—		19	4
	2013–14		14	1	1	0	4	1	—		—		19	2
	2015–16		3	1	0	0	0	0	4	0	—		7	1
	Total		34	4	1	0	6	3	4	0	0	0	45	7
Queens Park Rangers (loan)	2013–14	Championship	8	1	0	0	0	0	—		—		8	1
Metz (loan)	2014–15	Ligue 1	25	9	0	0	1	0	—		—		26	9
Al Nassr	2015–16	Saudi Pro League	19	5	4'	'2'	—'		'1'	'2'	'3'	30'	11
Ittihad Kalba	2016-17	UAE Pro League	23	9	1	0	1	0	—		—		25	9
Ajman	2017-18		19	10	1	0	3	0	—		—		23	10
Buriram United	2019	Thai League 1	3	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	—		5	1
Ajman	2020-21	UAE Pro League	14'	'4'	'0'	'0'	'0'	'0'	colspan = " ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' ''' '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' International Appearances and goals by national team and year National team Year Apps Goals Mali 2007 2 0 2008 2 1 2009 8 2 2010 9 (one) -Total 57 13 Statistics as of match played on June 4, 2016. Mali's score is listed first; score column reflects score after each Maïga goal. No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Honours Mali Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2012 Africa Cup of Nations; 2013 Africa Cup of Nations External links