Mohamed Alì Zoma eyes Nuremberg promotion push after Italy debut
Bundesliga 2 leading scorer Mohamed Alì Zoma aims to use his senior international debut for Italy as a springboard to pose even more of a goal threat for Nuremberg in their push for promotion this season.
The 22-year-old’s goal-a-game strike rate so far this term has raised hopes Miroslav Klose’s side can return to the German top flight for the first time since 2019.
It has also raised Zoma’s profile to the point where Italy coach Roberto Mancini made him one of nine new faces in the Azzurri’s squad for the September-October international window.
That put him on the training pitch with established stars such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sandro Tonali, Riccardo Calafiori and Moïse Kean, a daunting prospect but one that also served to spur him on.
“I was very tense before the first training session. Everything was new, so I just tried to perform to the best of my ability,” said the forward, who joined Nuremberg in 2025. “Of course, the standard is very high. I’m now even more motivated to keep working and get better so that I can get to that level.”
Zoma clearly proved his worth to Mancini as he was given the opportunity to step off the bench to make his debut in a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on 25 September.
“All my family and friends were there. We normally watch Italy games together in front of the TV. Now, I got to pull on the shirt and play myself. It was incredible and very emotional for me,” said Zoma, who was an unused substitute as he watched his country claim a 1-1 draw in France on 2 October.
“It was an incredible experience for me. I really enjoyed it. I was the ‘new one’, but the team, the staff and the coaches all welcomed me really well and treated me as an equal. You couldn’t tell if the players were stars or not, everyone wanted to give their best for Italy,”
Born in Italy to a father from Burkina Faso, Zoma made his way in football after his dad passed away, making his first-team debut for local side AlbinoLeffe in November 2021. He initially allied his football development to studying in patisserie school – he now looks like he can have his cake and eat it after a blistering start to the 2026/27 season with his club.
Watch: Zoma kicked off the new Bundesliga 2 season with a hat-trick
After grabbing 14 goals in 29 second-tier appearances last season, his Matchday 1 hat-trick against Dynamo Dresden set the tone for Nuremberg’s unbeaten start, which has left them three points clear in second place and just two points off the pace set by early leaders Hertha Berlin.
Zoma now hopes his international experience will serve him well as he returns to domestic matters with Saturday’s home game against fourth-placed Wolfsburg.
“The first game after the international break is always very important,” Zoma explained. “Of course we want to maintain our form from before the break and win. Wolfsburg are one of the top teams in the league, but we’re ready.”
