Issam El Maach
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Issam El Maach | ||
| Date of birth | 1 February 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Heerlen, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Twente | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| RKSV MULO | |||
| –2016 | VVV-Venlo | ||
| 2016–2017 | Vitesse | ||
| 2017–2019 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Jong Ajax | 4 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Ajax | 0 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | RKC Waalwijk | 1 | (0) |
| 2022– | Twente | 0 | (0) |
| 2025 | → Roda (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2016 | Morocco U17 | 1 | (0) |
| 2017 | Netherlands U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2018 | Morocco U23 | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17 May 2019 | |||
Issam El Maach (Arabic: عصام المعاش; born 1 February 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Eredivisie club Twente.[2] Born in the Netherlands, he represents Morocco at youth international level.
Club career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Born in Heerlen and raised in Helmond to Moroccan parents, El Maach began his football career with local club RKSV MULO before being recruited to the youth ranks of VVV-Venlo.[3]In 2016 he moved to the youth academy of SBV Vitesse, from where he was scouted and joined the Ajax Youth Academy a year later.[4]
Ajax
[edit]El Maach signed a two-year contract with Ajax in 2017 with an option for an additional year.[5] He made his professional debut with the reserves team Jong Ajax in the Eerste Divisie on 18 January 2018 in a 4–1 loss to RKC Waalwijk. Jong Ajax ended the season as champions of the second division, becoming the first reserves team to win a championship since the introduction of reserves teams in professional football in the Netherlands.[6]
He made his first team debut on 11 January 2019 in a friendly game against Brazilian club Flamengo in the Florida Cup.[7]
On 26 June 2020, it was announced that El Maach contract was not going to be extended leaving him eligible to find a new club.[8]
RKC Waalwijk
[edit]On 14 July 2021, El Maach signed a one-year contract with Eredivisie club RKC Waalwijk.[9]
Twente
[edit]On 25 July 2022, El Maach joined Twente on a two-year deal, with an option for an additional year.[10]
On 7 January 2025, he joined Roda JC on loan for the remainder of the 2024–25 season.[11] He made 12 appearances during his loan spell before returning to Twente in July 2025 after the club exercised their option to extend his contract through to 2026.[12]
HJK Helsinki (trial)
[edit]On 20 January 2026, Finnish club HJK Helsinki announced that El Maach had joined the team on a trial basis. He featured for the club on the same day in a 2026 Liigacup match against IFK Mariehamn.[13]
International career
[edit]El Maach is a youth international for Morocco, having represented the nation at under-17 and under-23 levels. He also made one appearance for the Netherlands U18 in a friendly match in 2017.
Honours
[edit]Jong Ajax[14]
Ajax[14]
- KNVB Cup: 2018–19
- Florida Cup runners-up: 2019
References
[edit]- ↑ "Issam el Maach". Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ↑ Issam El Maach at Soccerway
- ↑ "Ajax contracteert Heerlense doelman". 1 Limburg. 29 June 2017.
- ↑ "Ajax contracteert Isaam El Maach". Ajax.nl.
- ↑ "Issam El Maach: geboren leider die bij Ajax op zijn kans wacht". ELF Voetbal.
- ↑ "Jong Ajax kampioen in Jupiler League, Fortuna Sittard promoveert". NU.nl. 28 April 2018.
- ↑ Ajax verliest eerste wedstrijd Florida Cup na penaltys, AjaxShowtime, 11 January 2019
- ↑ "Exit El Maach en Van Leer bij Ajax" (in Dutch). 1 Limburg. 26 June 2020.
- ↑ El Maach tekent contract bij RKC Waalwijk, AjaxShowtime, 14 July 2021
- ↑ "El Maach tekent contract bij FC Twente". FC Twente (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ↑ "Roda JC huurt doelman El Maach van FC Twente". Roda JC. 7 January 2025.
- ↑ "Roda JC neemt afscheid van verschillende spelers". Roda JC Kerkrade (in Dutch). 13 May 2025. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ↑ "Testipelaaja Issam El Maach vartioi HJK:n maalia Mariehamnia vastaan". hjk.fi (in Finnish). HJK Helsinki. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- 1 2 "Issam El Maach - Career Honours". Soccerway.
External links
[edit]- Issam El Maach at WorldFootball.net
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Heerlen
- Moroccan men's footballers
- Morocco men's youth international footballers
- Dutch men's footballers
- Netherlands men's youth international footballers
- Dutch people of Moroccan descent
- Sportspeople of Moroccan descent
- Men's association football goalkeepers
- AFC Ajax players
- Jong Ajax players
- RKC Waalwijk players
- FC Twente players
- Roda JC Kerkrade players
- Eerste Divisie players
- Eredivisie players