Mamadou Maiga (Mamadou Maiga; born February 10, 1995, in Bamako, Mali) is a Malian footballer, a defensive midfielder and captain of the club "Nizhny Novgorod", who also plays for the Mali national team. Since 2022 he has been one of the key players of the Nizhny Novgorod club; he wears number 8.[1]

Career

Before moving to "Nizhny Novgorod", Maiga spent two seasons with Moscow's "Veles" in the First League: in the 2020/21 season he played 35 matches (without scoring), and in 2021/22 he played 25 matches and scored 1 goal.[2] In 2022 he moved to "Nizhny Novgorod", which by then had earned a place in the Premier League. In his debut 2022/23 season he played 22 league matches and scored his only goal against Moscow's "Spartak".[1] In time he became the team's captain.

In April 2024, Maiga suffered a knee injury (a torn cruciate ligament) in a match against "Orenburg".[2] Rehabilitation took several months; in early 2025 he reported a successful recovery.[2] After returning to action he regained full strength and took his place as the team's leader in the 2026/27 First League season.[3]

As of November 2026, he has played 167 official matches over his career, scoring 2 goals and receiving 44 yellow cards and 3 red cards.[2] His contract with the club runs until June 30, 2027; to retain the player, the club raised his salary from 1.8 to 2.2 million rubles per month.[3]

At "Nizhny Novgorod"

Over four seasons in the Premier League (2022/23–2025/26), Maiga played 63 league matches for the club. In August 2025 he received a straight red card in the 11th minute of an away match against "Rostov"; the Expert and Referee Commission upheld the referee's decision.[2] In the 2026/27 season, with "Nizhny Novgorod" playing in the First League, he played 14 matches and helped the team take first place after the first five rounds.[3]

Mayga settled in Nizhny Novgorod long ago: by his own account, he likes the city for its calm atmosphere and the absence of racism. He speaks Russian, loves the banya and borscht; his son Ali has the patronymic Mamaduyevich and holds Russian citizenship.[2]

Mali national team

Mayga is a member of the Mali national team, where he also wears number 8.[1] In March 2026, the Mali national team played a friendly match against the Russian national team that ended in a 0:0 draw; Mayga took part in the game and gave an interview after the final whistle.[2]

Links

Sources

  1. soccer365.ru — Mamadou Mayga (Nizhny Novgorod)
  2. news.sportbox.ru — Mayga Mamadou — Midfielder — Nizhny Novgorod
  3. tvgram.ru — Nizhny Novgorod Kept Mayga, Raising His Salary to 2.2 Million — Insider Tips from Karp — Ivan Karpov — TVGram
  4. sports.ru — Mamadou Mayga