Mustapha Hadji
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| Mustapha Hadji | ||
 |
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mustapha Hadji | |
| Date of birth | November 16, 1971 (age 35) | |
| Place of birth |  Ifrane, Morocco |
|
| Height | 5ft 11in | |
| Nickname | Mous | |
| Playing position | Midfielders | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club |  1. FC Saarbrücken |
|
| Number | 10 | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1991-1996 1996-1997 1997-1999 1999-2001 2001-2004 2004 2004-2005 2005- |
 AS Nancy |
- (-) 27 (3) 31 (2) 62 (12) 35 (2) 16 (1) |
| National team2 | ||
| 1995-2004 | Morocco |
- (-) |
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1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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Moustapha Hadji (Arabic: مصطفى حاجي) (born 16 November 1971 in Ifrane, Morocco) is a Moroccan international footballer. His brother, Youssouf Hadji, is also a Moroccan international and currently plays for AS Nancy
Hadji, nicknamed Mous, immigrated with his family at an early age to France. They first settled at Saint-Etienne, then Monceau, and finally Creutzwald. Mustapha Hadji began playing football there. He signed his first contract with AS Nancy where he spent his first season as a youth player before joining the senior squad in his second year with the club.
In mid 1990s, Moustapha was offered a place in the French junior national team but decided to play for Morocco.
After playing for Nancy, Hadji joined Sporting and then Deportivo, but it was with Coventry City where he became well known, especially in Britain. After an impressive 1998 FIFA World Cup, where Hadji scoring a memorable goal against Norway, he became much sought after, especially after being named African Footballer of the Year in 1998. He was signed a year later by Gordon Strachan for Coventry.
Hadji is a goal-scoring attacking midfielder with great pace and skillful runs. At Coventry, he was joined by Moroccan international, Youssef Chippo, sparking a brief trend for City fans to wear fezzes to games in their honour. After Coventry were relegated in 2001, he joined local rivals Aston Villa, having scored against them three times in the previous season. But after only playing sporadically, he was released on a free transfer to Español in Spain in 2004 where he remained until June 2004.
Moustapha has since played for Al Ain FC in United Arab Emirates where he remained for one year before returning and signing with 1. FC Saarbrucken in Germany in 2005. He signed a two year contract.
Recent events for Hadji include being selected for Ambassadorship during the 2010 World Cup by FIFA to represent Africa. Moustapha is also involved in a Partnership with plans to invest in Morocco thus making opportunities for the local people, he aims to help rid poverty in his homeland.
Moustapha Hadji is a supporter of Show Racism The Red Card charity.
| Preceded by Victor Ikpeba |
African Footballer of the Year 1998 |
Succeeded by Nwankwo Kanu |
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Morocco squad - 1994 FIFA World Cup | |
|---|---|---|
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1 Amzi | 2 Abdellah | 3 El Hadrioui | 4 El Khalej | 5 Triki | 6 Naybet | 7 Hadji | 8 Azzouzi | 9 Chaouch | 10 El Haddaoui | 11 Daoudi | 12 Dghay | 13 Bahja | 14 Masbahi | 15 Hababi | 16 Nader | 17 El Ghrissi | 18 Neqrouz | 19 Bouyboud | 20 Kachloul | 21 Samadi | 22 Alaoui | Coach: Blinda |
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Morocco squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup | |
|---|---|---|
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1 El Brazi | 2 Saber | 3 El Hadrioui | 4 Rossi | 5 Triki | 6 Naybet | 7 Hadji | 8 Chiba | 9 Hadda | 10 Ouakili | 11 El Khattabi | 12 Benzekri | 13 Neqrouz | 14 Bassir | 15 Abrami | 16 Azzouzi | 17 Amzine | 18 Chippo | 19 Sellami | 20 El Khalej | 21 Rokki | 22 Chadili | Coach: Michel |
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Categories: 1971 births | Living people | Moroccan footballers | Berber Moroccans | AS Nancy players | Sporting Lisbon players | Coventry City F.C. players | Aston Villa F.C. players | 1. FC Saarbrücken players | La Liga footballers | Deportivo de La Coruña players | RCD Espanyol footballers | FIFA World Cup 1994 players | FIFA World Cup 1998 players | Muslims | Moroccan French people | FA Premier League players
