Bayer Leverkusen starlet Ibrahim Maza shining on the international stage for Algeria
After a strong individual start to the 2026/27 domestic campaign with Bayer Leverkusen, Algerian playmaker Ibrahim Maza has continued in his rich vein of form during the international break.
In Friday evening’s Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifier between Algeria and Zambia, the 20-year-old midfielder played the full 90 minutes as his side – buoyed by fellow Bundesliga stars Ramy Bensebaini of Borussia Dortmund and Farès Chaïbi of Eintracht Frankfurt - cruised to a 3-1 victory. The positive result came in no small part thanks to Maza’s individual contribution of a goal and an assist in the second half.
The Leverkusen man’s strike came at a crucial juncture, with him smashing home at the near post to restore Algeria’s advantage after Zambia had drawn level shortly after the second half got under way. Maza then followed up his strike with an impressive back-heeled assist for Algeria’s third of the evening to seal the victory.
Such a performance will come as little surprise to fans of Die Werkself, for whom Maza has become a key player under new head coach Carles Martínez. Indeed, the 20-year-old has played every minute of Leverkusen’s current Bundesliga campaign so far, contributing a goal and an assist across the opening four fixtures, in addition to a Man of the Match performance in the 4-0 thrashing of Union Berlin on Matchday 2.
Given his superb current form, Maza will likely feature again for Algeria in their next AFCON qualfier away to Burundi on 29 September, before the North African side welcome Niger in a friendly encounter just over a week later on the 6 October.
Shortly thereafter, Leverkusen's Bundesliga campaign will resume with a trip to Mainz on 10 October, as Martínez's charges seek back-to-back league wins for the first time this campaign.
