Ibo Maza had three different nations to pick from. Rather than his native Germany, the Bayer Leverkusen forward is playing for Algeria, his father’s homeland, at the World Cup in North America.
“I’m a multicultural kid with three different nationalities: Germany, Algeria, and Vietnam,” Ibrahim Maza said earlier this year. By that point, Julian Nagelsmann — together with 80 million armchair experts across Germany — had realized that a player like Maza could be a valuable addition to the men’s national football team.
But by then, it was already too late. Maza had already been cap-tied to Algeria, the nation his father left as a young man to build a new life in Germany.
Roots in Algeria, Vietnam, and Berlin
Maza’s father, Sofiane, who comes from Algiers, later met his Vietnamese wife in Germany. Their son, Ibrahim, was born in Berlin in 2005.
His father introduced Ibrahim to his homeland through stories and frequent trips back.
“I went there often with my father,” Ibrahim Maza told Bayer Leverkusen’s in-house video channel, Werkself-TV.
“We basically spent every summer vacationing there and visiting family.”
From Reinickendorf to the Champions League
However, Maza — known to everyone simply as “Ibo” — learned his football in his hometown of Berlin. As a child, he joined Reinickendorfer Füchse, a club famous for its youth development program. Several future professionals learned the game there, including Kevin-Prince Boateng and Thomas Hässler, a member of Germany’s 1990 World Cup-winning squad.
At age 12, Maza moved to Hertha Berlin, where he turned professional in 2023. After two seasons in Bundesliga 2, he joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025, where he was given the chance to play in the Champions League.
By then, he was already an Algerian international. Although he had represented Germany at youth level, he chose instead to represent his father’s homeland at senior level — over the country of his birth.
“I love all three countries, and in the end, I made my decision for various reasons, which will remain private,” he said.
Maza’s greatest strengths include his dribbling, speed, vision, and work ethic. Like few other players, Maza has the ability to quickly turn past one or more opponents to drive the play forward as soon as he receives the ball.
“He is a top, top player,” said former Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand.
“But the truth is: He is a top human being. You can work him hard, because when you do, he says ‘Thank you’ and works incredibly hard. Every single day. He is a very fast learner. He is simply a superb player with a great future ahead of him.”
In his debut Bundesliga season, Maza was one of the standout performers at Leverkusen, establishing himself as a regular starter — something no one had expected from the then 19-year-old. In 28 Bundesliga appearances, he scored three goals and provided six assists. He made four appearances in the German Cup, scoring two goals, and 12 in the Champions League, where he remained scoreless.
Starring role at the Africa Cup of Nations
However, the highlight of the past season for Maza was his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria.
“It was absolutely crazy. When we arrived at the stadium two hours before kickoff, it was already packed with fans. It was so loud. That was the first time I got goosebumps,” he later recalled.
Despite being one of the youngest players on the squad, Maza was also one of the standout performers for the “Fennecs,” who were eliminated by Nigeria in the quarterfinals.
“I came into the tournament with the mindset of winning it,” he said.
“So to be knocked out in that manner was simply bitter, and naturally, a few emotions run through your mind at that moment. I was a bit angry and sad after the match. But that’s part of the game. You can learn from it, even from the mistakes, to keep developing so that, hopefully, we can do better next time.”
That “next time” is now the World Cup. In Group J, Algeria will face reigning world champions Argentina, Austria, and World Cup newcomers Jordan. The North African side is aiming to reach the knockout stage.
Maza has set himself at least one other goal. “The crazy thing is that we’re playing against Argentina, against Lionel Messi, whom I grew up watching,” he said in an interview with the DFL (German Football League.)
“I’m going to try to get his jersey. Maybe he’ll actually see this. So: Please, give me your jersey!” Maza said while looking into the camera.
This article was adapted from German.