Nayef Aguerd

Nayef Aguerd (Arabic: نايف أكرد; Berber languages: ⵏⴰⵢⴼ ⴰⴳⵕⴹ; born 30 March 1996) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club West Ham United and the Morocco national team.

Nayef Aguerd
Aguerd training with West Ham United in 2023
Personal information
Full name Nayef Aguerd[1]
Date of birth (1996-03-30) 30 March 1996[2]
Place of birth Kénitra, Morocco
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 West Ham United
Number 27
Youth career
2012–2014 Mohammed VI Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2018 FUS Rabat 106 (7)
2018–2020 Dijon 25 (4)
2020–2022 Rennes 66 (5)
2022– West Ham United 17 (2)
International career‡
2015 Morocco U23 4 (0)
2016– Morocco 28 (1)
Honours
Representing  Morocco
Toulon Tournament
Runner-up2015
African Nations Championship
Winner2018
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:01, 14 May 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:35, 28 March 2023 (UTC)

He began his professional career playing for Botola side FUS Rabat, before leaving to France and playing for Dijon and Rennes. He was chosen in Morocco's squads for the African Nations Championship in 2018, the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Early life

Nayef Aguerd was born and raised in the port city of Kenitra in north western Morocco.[4]

Aguerd began his footballing career with the Mohammed VI Football Academy, before moving to FUS Rabat in 2014.[5] The player then played a season with the club amateurs before signing his first professional contract with FUS Rabat in Botola in 2014.

Club career

Early career

During his first season with FUS Rabat, he was the runner-up of the 2015 Throne cup after losing the final against Olympique Club de Khouribga. On 15 February 2015, he scored his first goal for the team in a 3–1 victory against Wydad AC.[6][7] On 3 March, he scored his first continental goal in a 1–1 draw against UMS de Loum.[8]

Dijon

After four seasons, he joined Dijon in Ligue 1.[9] He made his professional debut with Dijon in a 4–0 win over Nice on 25 August 2018, scoring the first goal for his side on his debut.[10]

Rennes

On 14 August 2020, Aguerd signed a contract with Ligue 1 team Rennes from Dijon for an undisclosed fee believed to be between €4m and €5m.[11] He scored his first goal for the club in a friendly against Nice; the game ended in a 3–2 loss.[12] On 13 September 2020, Aguerd scored his first league goal in a 4–2 victory against Nîmes.[13]

On 17 May 2021, He was placed 11th place in the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé as the best player who represents an African national football team in Ligue 1.[14] On 19 August 2021, Aguerd scored a header, which marked his first European goal, in a 2–0 victory against Rosenborg.[15] A week later, Aguerd scored again in the second leg against Rosenborg in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round.[16] On 16 May 2022, Aguerd was placed 3rd as the best African player in Ligue 1 for the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé.[17]

Aguerd with West Ham in 2023.

West Ham United

In June 2022, Aguerd signed for West Ham United on a five-year contract for a fee of £30 million. His fee was the fourth-highest paid by West Ham after those paid for Sébastien Haller, Felipe Anderson and Kurt Zouma.[18] On July 16, Aguerd made his debut for the Hammers in a friendly against Reading, playing a total of 63 minutes of a 1–1 draw at the Madejski Stadium.[19][20] In his second game, a pre-season friendly against Rangers on 19 July, Aguerd injured his ankle which required surgery.[21][22] On 19 October, Aguerd returned back to training with the team three months after his injury.[23][24] He made his competitive West Ham United debut on 27 October in a Europa Conference League game against Silkeborg, which West Ham won 1–0.[25] On 2 April, Aguerd scored his first Premier League goal in the home encounter against Southampton, which ended in a 1-0 victory.[26][27]

International career

Aguerd made his debut for the Morocco national team in a friendly 0–0 tie with Albania on 31 August 2016.[28] Aguerd represented Morocco in the 2018 African Nations Championship, helping his country to achieve their first CHAN title.[29] On 6 September 2021, Aguerd scored his first goal against Sudan in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, he sent a sharp shot in the net from a cross.[30]

He was later invited by Vahid Halilhodžić to represent Morocco in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.[31] Nayef started all of his matches in the group stages.[32][33] He scored an own-goal in a 2–2 draw against Gabon.[34]

On 10 November 2022, he was named in Morocco's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[35][36] Aguerd played all three group games and the round of 16 match against Spain. However, he missed the quarter-final vs Portugal but still played an important role in defence along with Romain Saïss and was instrumental in Morocco reaching the Semi-finals of the world Cup. However, he missed the decisive game against France due to injury and was withdrawn minutes before the game, despite having been mentioned in the official starting line-ups prior to the match.[37][38]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 18 May 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FUS Rabat 2014–15 Botola Pro 12100——121
2015–16 18200——182
2016–17 20210—21233
2017–18 22000——220
Total 725100021756
Dijon 2018–19 Ligue 1 1333010—173
2019–20 12100——121
Total 254301000294
Rennes 2020–21 Ligue 1 35310—30393
2021–22 31200—92404
Total 6651000122797
West Ham United 2022–23 Premier League 172301070282
Career total 17116802021321119

International goals
Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first.
List of international goals scored by Nayef Aguerd
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
16 September 2021Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco Sudan1–02–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

FUS Rabat

Morocco

Individual

Orders

References
  1. "2022/23 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  2. "Nayef Aguerd: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  3. "Nayef Aguerd". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  4. "Eight things you need to know about Nayef Aguerd | West Ham United F.C." www.whufc.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  5. "Made in Morocco, Flourishing in France; Is London Calling For Nayef Aguerd?". Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  6. "Goalzz.com: live sports scores and news". www.goalzz.com. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  7. "Nayef Aguerd: Who is the Morocco international signed by West Ham United? | Goal.com English Bahrain". www.goal.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  8. "UMS de Loum 1-1 FUS Rabat :: Taça da Confederação CAF 2016 :: Détails du jeu :: leballonrond.fr". www.leballonrond.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  9. "Nayef Aguerd première recrue du DFCO !". www.dfco.fr.
  10. "LFP.fr – Ligue de Football Professionnel – Ligue 1 Conforama – Saison 2018/2019 – 3ème journée – OGC Nice / Dijon FCO". www.lfp.fr.
  11. "Official | Rennes sign central defender Nayef Aguerd | Get French Football News". www.getfootballnewsfrance.com. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  12. "A win to end preseason". OGC Nice (in French). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  13. "Ligue 1: Guirassy Scores Twice as Rennes Beats Nimes 4-2; Marseille Down PSG 1-0". News18. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  14. "Prix Marc-Vivien Foé: Gaël Kakuta, premier Lensois et Congolais sacré". RFI (in French). 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  15. "Rennes v Rosenborg Live Commentary & Result, 19/08/21, UEFA Europa Conference League | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  16. "Rosenborg vs. Stade Rennais - Football Match Summary - August 26, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  17. "Prix Marc-Vivien Foé: l'Ivoirien Seko Fofana succède à Gaël Kakuta". RFI (in French). 16 May 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  18. "West Ham complete £30m Aguerd signing from Rennes". BBC Sport. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  19. "Highlights: Reading 1-1 West Ham United". West Ham United F.C. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  20. "David Moyes delivers Nayef Aguerd verdict after West Ham draw with Reading". Hammers News. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  21. "West Ham signing Aguerd has ankle surgery". BBC Sport. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  22. Gorrie, Jonathan (21 October 2022). "West Ham handed boost as Nayef Aguerd appears to step up return from injury". Evening Standard. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  23. "Morocco's Aguerd edging closer to West Ham return". BBC Sport. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  24. "Morocco's Aguerd could play for West Ham before World Cup, says Moyes". Gulf News. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  25. "West Ham reach last 16 after win over Silkeborg". BBC Sport. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  26. "المغربي أكرد يهدي وست هام فوزاً مصيرياً". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  27. Steinberg, Jacob (2 April 2023). "Nayef Aguerd gives West Ham vital win over Southampton to lift survival fight". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  28. Bakkali, Achraf. "Rapport de match: Albanie 0–0 Maroc". Mountakhab.net.
  29. "Hosts Morocco crowned CHAN champions". BBC Sport.
  30. "الشوط الأول من مباراة المنتخب ضد السودان.. استحواذ كلي للأسود ونايف أكرد يسجل هدف التقدم للفريق الوطني". www.elbotola.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  31. "Vahid Halilhodzic reveals final list of players for CAN 2022". HESPRESS English - Morocco’s leading digital media. 23 December 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
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  33. "Africa Cup of Nations (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
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  35. "Morocco World Cup 2022 squad: Who's in and who's out? | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  36. "Moroccan coach unveils list of 26 Atlas Lions in 2022 World Cup". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  37. Simmonds, Kadeem (15 December 2022). "Walid Regragui says Nayef Aguerd missed Morocco's semi-final loss due to the flu". Football.London. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  38. Winehouse, Amitai. "Morocco's Aguerd pulls out of semi-final before kick-off". The Athletic. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  39. "Maroc: Le FUS de Rabat champion pour la première fois". 5 June 2016.
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