Abdul Majeed Waris (born 19 September 1991)
is a Ghanaian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
striker for Cypriot club
Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
and the
Ghanaian national team.
Club career
Born in
Tamale
A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tam ...
, Waris started his career at the Ghanaian
Right to Dream Academy
Right to Dream is a Ghanaian Youth system, football academy. The academy started in 1999 training a small number of boys in Accra and grew into a residential school and training center. As of 2021 it was owned by Mansour Group.
History
Right to ...
when he was twelve. He moved to England and joined
Hartpury College
Hartpury University and Hartpury College, formerly Hartpury College, is a provider of further and higher education which describes itself as specialising in the "agriculture, animal, equine, sport and veterinary nursing" sectors. The university a ...
, while simultaneously gaining a place at the
Nike Academy
The Nike Football Academy was an English football academy funded and administered by Nike, Inc. The academy had a revolving squad of unsigned under-20 players and was run with the intention of helping them find a professional club. The academy was ...
, where he would go on to feature in the reserves side at
Forest Green Rovers
Forest Green Rovers Football Club are a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system, and have played their home games at The New Lawn since ...
.
BK Häcken
In October 2009, Waris signed a four-year contract with Swedish
Allsvenskan side
BK Häcken
Bollklubben Häcken, more commonly known as BK Häcken or simply Häcken (), is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. It currently plays in Allsvenskan, the top tier of Swedish football. Formed on 2 August 1940, Häcken has p ...
for an undisclosed fee. He made his début in March 2010 as a substitute for
Dominic Chatto
Dominic Chatto Bashir Jamilu (born 7 December 1985) is a retired Nigerian football midfielder. He has played three times in Nigerian youth teams.
Club career
Chatto was born in Kaduna, Nigeria. Chatto started playing football in the age of s ...
, in a 4–2 home win against
Trelleborgs FF
Trelleborgs Fotbollsförening, more commonly known as Trelleborgs FF or simply Trelleborg, is a Swedish football club located in Trelleborg. Formed 6 December 1926, the club plays in Superettan, the second tier in the Swedish Football system. ...
. In May 2012, he netted his first hat-trick, scoring five goals, in a 6–0 home win against
IFK Norrköping
Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna Norrköping, more commonly known as IFK Norrköping or simply Norrköping, is a Swedish professional football club based in Norrköping. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollförbund and play thei ...
.
As a result, he became the first player in Allsvenskan to score five goals in one match in the 21st century.
He also became the first Ghanaian to score five goals in single top-flight game in Europe as well as becoming the leading goalscorer in the
2012 Allsvenskan with 12 goals in nine games. In conclusion of the Allsvenskan season, Waris was named the Swedish Premier League's player of the year, which GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi quoted: ''"His achievements have brought honour to our country."''
His performance at Häcken earned him a transfer speculation by being linked with Bundesliga clubs, such as
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are best known for the ...
,
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...
,
Saint-Étienne,
Catania and
Arsenal.
Spartak Moscow
![Уорис](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/%D0%A3%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81.jpg)
In November 2012, Waris was transferred to
Spartak Moscow Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based or formerly based in Moscow, Russia:
* FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club
* HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team
* Spartak GM Moscow, a semi-professional rugby club
* WB ...
for an undisclosed fee. He made his RFPL debut on 10 March 2013, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute in Spartak's 3–1 win over
FC Terek Grozny
Republican Football Club Akhmat ( ce, футболан клуб Ахмат Соьлжа-ГӀала; russian: Республиканский футбольный клуб Ахмат Грозный), commonly known as Akhmat Grozny, is a Russian ...
. However, his first team chance at Spartak Moscow was limited, due to the dominance of strikers, such as
Emmanuel Emenike
Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike (born 10 May 1987) is a Nigerian former Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He most recently played for Belgian club K.V.C. Westerlo, Westerlo.
Club caree ...
,
Yura Movsisyan
Yura Movsisyan ( hy, Յուրա Մովսիսյան; born 2 August 1987) is an Armenian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Most notably, Movsisyan played for Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League. He played for the ...
,
Artyom Dzyuba
Artem (or Artyom) Sergeyevich Dzyuba (russian: Артём Сергеевич Дзюба, ; born 22 August 1988) is a Russian professional football player who plays as a striker for the Russia national football team.
He began his career with Spa ...
and
Ariclenes da Silva Ferreira.
Waris scored his first PFPL goal on 8 December 2013, in a 1–0 away victory over
FC Rostov
FC Rostov (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб Ростов) is a Russian professional football club based in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast. The club are members of the Russian Premier League, and play at the Rostov Arena. After the ...
, and was voted the Russian Premier League player of the week. Following the start of the winter break, he stated he wanted to leave the club, citing earning a first team place in the World Cup.
Valenciennes (loan)
In January 2014, Waris was loaned to
Ligue 1 club
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...
, until 30 June 2014. He scored on his debut for the club in a 3–2 win over
Bastia
Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...
on 14 January 2014 and was named Goal.com Ghana Player of the Week. After scoring two goals in six appearances, he scored twice on 22 February 2014 in a 2–2 draw against
Sochaux
Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Geography
Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''.
Economy
S ...
. He scored five times in four consecutive games.
Initially aiming to score eleven goals, Waris went on to score nine goals in his loan spell at Valenciennes. Despite the relegation, he expressed his desire to stay in France by making the move a permanent one. He returned to Spartak Moscow, but said he hoped that the club would bounce back to Ligue 1.
Trabzonspor
On 1 September 2014, Waris joined Turkish
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), officially known as Spor Toto Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the ...
side
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club located in the city of Trabzon. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, the men's football team has won seven Süper Lig championships. Trabzonspor also have a women's football team, ...
on a four-year contract for a transfer fee of €5.5 million. He had previously been linked with a move to
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...
, but Spartak Moscow rejected a bid from the club.
He made his Trabzonspor debut on 14 September 2014, in a 0–0 draw against
Fenerbahçe, where he played 90 minutes and as a left winger in attack. Two months later, on 6 November 2014, he scored his first goal for the club, which came in the Europa League, in a 1–1 draw against
Lokeren.
Lorient
On 6 August 2015, Waris' transfer to French Ligue 1 side
Lorient
Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France.
History
Prehistory and classical antiquity
Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...
was announced. Media reported the transfer fee as €5 million and the duration of the contract as four years. This move caused controversy as Waris initially travelled to
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
to sign for Lorient's rivals
Rennes but was driven to Lorient upon his arrival.
FC Porto (loan)
In January 2018 Waris was loaned to Portuguese
Primeira Liga side
FC Porto on a six-month loan deal which involves a €6 million option to make the move permanent.
Strasbourg
On 16 January 2020, Waris returned to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, signing for
Strasbourg on loan until the end of the season with obligation to buy in the summer for £2,000,000. He signed for the team on a 2-year permanent contract in August 2020 ahead of the 2020–21 season.
Anorthosis Famagusta
On 18 August 2022, Waris signed with
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
club
Anorthosis
Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
on a two-year contract until 2024.
International career
Waris was called up to the
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
squad against
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
in February 2012, replacing both the injured
André
André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation ...
and
Jordan Ayew
Jordan Pierre Ayew (born 11 September 1991) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Crystal Palace and the Ghana national team.
He is the son of former Ghana captain Abedi Pele and brother of fellow players And ...
. He came on as a substitute for
Richard Mpong
Richard Mpong (born 4 July 1990 in Tarkwa) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who currently plays as a winger,[PPL Park
Subaru Park (formerly known as PPL Park and Talen Energy Stadium) is a soccer-specific stadium located in Chester, Pennsylvania, located next to the Commodore Barry Bridge on the waterfront along the Delaware River. The venue is home to the Ph ...]( ...<br></span></div> as Ghana earned a 1–1 away draw at the <div class=)
in
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census.
Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...
. He scored the third goal in Ghana's 4–0 in World Cup Qualifying against Sudan on 24 March 2013 at the
Baba Yara Stadium
Baba Yara Sports Stadium (also Kumasi Sports Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti. It is Ghana's largest stadium, with a seating capacity of 40,528.
The Kumasi Stadium is used mostly for football matches, although it is also u ...
in Kumasi. He also scored a goal against Egypt when Ghana defeated Egypt 6–1 in Kumasi in the first leg of the final World Cup qualifier.
On 12 May 2014, Waris was named in a provisional 26-man squad in the
2014 FIFA World Cup by Ghana manager
James Kwesi Appiah
James Kwesi Appiah (born 30 June 1960), also known as Akwasi Appiah, is a Ghanaian football coach and former player who played as a left back. He is currently the head coach of Kenpong Football Academy.
Early life and education
Appiah was born ...
. On 2 June 2014, he made the cut to be included in Ghana's 23-man squad for the
2014 FIFA World Cup.
Personal life
Waris is a practicing
Muslim. He was formerly married to Habiba Sinare.
Career statistics
Club
Honours
Porto
*
Primeira Liga:
2017–18
Individual
*
Allsvenskan top scorer:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
References
External links
*
archiveBK Häcken profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Majeed Waris, Abdul
1991 births
Living people
People from Tamale, Ghana
Ghanaian footballers
Ghana international footballers
Association football forwards
Right to Dream Academy players
Nike Academy players
BK Häcken players
FC Spartak Moscow players
Valenciennes FC players
Trabzonspor footballers
FC Lorient players
FC Porto players
FC Nantes players
RC Strasbourg Alsace players
Anorthosis Famagusta F.C. players
Allsvenskan players
Russian Premier League players
Ligue 1 players
Ligue 2 players
Süper Lig players
Primeira Liga players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
Ghanaian expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in England
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate footballers in Sweden
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden
Expatriate footballers in Russia
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Expatriate footballers in France
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in France
Expatriate footballers in Turkey
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Expatriate footballers in Portugal
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
Ghanaian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
Ghanaian Muslims