Maziar Kouhyar

Maziar Kouhyar
Kouhyar with York City in 2022
Personal information
Full name Qamaruddin Maziar Kouhyar[1]
Date of birth (1997-09-30) 30 September 1997[2]
Place of birth Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position Right midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Notts County
Number 17
Youth career
2008–2013 Coventry City
2013–2016 Walsall
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Walsall 21 (1)
2021–2022 Hereford 25 (4)
2022–2025 York City 66 (7)
2024 → Hereford (loan) 5 (0)
2024–2025 → Kidderminster Harriers (loan) 39 (12)
2025– Notts County 34 (0)
International career‡
2017– Afghanistan 12 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 06:58, 13 August 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 14:41, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Qamaruddin Maziar Kouhyar (Dari: مازیار كوهيار; born 30 September 1997) is an Afghan professional footballer who plays as a right midfielder for EFL League One club Notts County, and the Afghanistan national team. He is the first Afghan to play professionally in Great Britain.[3]

Club career

Born in Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan,[3] Kouhyar moved to England as a two-year-old due to conflict in his home country.[4] His parents settled in Handsworth suburb of Birmingham and his father worked as a pizza delivery driver, before returning to Afghanistan to work as an interpreter, leaving his mother to bring up the four children.[3] At the age of eleven he was spotted by a Coventry City scout after attending a Saturday football session with his cousin, and joined the club's youth system.[3]

Walsall

After being released from Coventry at the age of sixteen, he played in Sunday league football, before being spotted by a Walsall scout whilst playing in a local Powerleague.[3] After a trial, he subsequently joined the club.[5] He went on to sign a two-year scholarship with the club, progressing to sign his first professional deal in February 2016, on a one-year contract with the option of a further year.[5] He made his professional debut in August 2016, in a 2–0 defeat to Chesterfield, replacing Kieron Morris as a substitute.[6] He scored his first goal for Walsall in an EFL Trophy tie against Grimsby Town on 30 August 2016.[7] On 9 December 2016 he signed a new contract with Walsall until the summer of 2019.[8]

He left Walsall due to a knee injury, and began working in a fried chicken shop.[9]

In a November 2020 interview following his departure from the club, Kouhyar spoke out against abuse he had received during his time with the club in which he had been labelled a "terrorist" by a teammate.[10]

Hereford

In March 2021, Kouhyar signed for National League North club Hereford having been away from football for eighteen months with an ACL injury.[11] Despite the early cancellation of the season, Kouhyar was part of the Hereford team that made it to the 2021 FA Trophy final, defeated 3–1 by league below Hornchurch.[12]

After scoring three goals and registering an assist as his team pushed for the play-offs, Kouhyar was awarded the National League North Player of the Month award for February 2022.[13] This award came after reported interest from Football League scouts.[14]

York City

Kouhyar playing for York City in 2022

On 22 March 2022, Kouhyar signed for National League North club York City on a free transfer.[15] On 15 April, Kouhyar scored his first goal for York in a 1–0 National League North victory over Spennymoor Town.[16] The season ended in success for Kouhyar and York as they secured promotion to the National League through the play-offs, Kouhyar scoring the second goal in a 2–0 final victory over Boston United.[17]

On 23 January 2024, Kouhyar joined former club Hereford on a one-month loan.[18]

In July 2024, Kouhyar joined National League North club Kidderminster Harriers on a season-long loan.[19] He was released by York at the end of the 2024–25 season.[20]

Notts County

On 16 June 2025, Kouhyar agreed to join League Two side Notts County on an initial one-year deal with the option for a further year.[21]

International career

In October 2016, he received his first call-up to the Afghanistan national team for the friendly against Malaysia.[4] While he was on international duty with the national team, he picked up an injury which cost him three months without playtime and required knee surgery.[22] Kouhyar made his formal debut for Afghanistan in a friendly 2–0 loss to Oman on 30 August 2017.[23] In 2018 he rejected a call-up for a home match against Palestine as his family did not want him to travel to Kabul.[3]

Kouhyar scored for Afghanistan U23 in March 2022, scoring the first goal in an eventual 3–0 friendly victory over Kuwait Under-23.[24]

Personal life

Outside of football, Kouhyar attends an accountancy evening course.[3]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 12 August 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Walsall 2015–16[25] League One 0000000000
2016–17[25] League One 6000001[a]171
2017–18[26] League One 15110104[a]0211
2018–19[27] League One 0010103[a]151
Total 211202082333
Hereford 2020–21[6] National League North —[b]——2[c]020
2021–22[6] National League North 25441—1[c]0305
Total 25441—30325
York City 2021–22[6] National League North 101——3[d]1132
2022–23[6] National League 31120—00331
2023–24[6] National League 25510—1[c]0275
Total 66730—41738
Hereford (loan) 2023–24[6] National League North 50———50
Kidderminster Harriers (loan) 2024–25 National League North 391230—3[c]14513
Notts County 2025–26[29] League Two 34010105[a]020
Career total 190241313023422929
  1. 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  2. ↑ League season was declared null and void before Kouhyar joined Hereford[28]
  3. 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in FA Trophy
  4. ↑ Appearance(s) in National League North play-offs

International

As of match played 10 June 2025[30]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Afghanistan 201710
201830
201920
202000
202110
202240
202510
Total120

Honours

Hereford

York City

Notts County

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Retained List 2015-16" (PDF). English Football League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Maz Kouhyar". 11v11. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Setting an example", When Saturday Comes, April 2019, pp16–17
  4. 1 2 "Walsall's Maz Kouhyar delight over international call-up". Express and Star. 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Walsall sign starlets Jordan Sangha and Qamaruddin Maziar Kouhyar". Express and Star. 16 February 2016. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maziar Kouhyar at Soccerway. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Walsall 5 Grimsby 2". expressandstar.com. 30 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  8. ↑ "Maziar Kouhyar: Walsall midfielder signs new contract with League One club". BBC. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "From serving fried chicken to fans' favourite" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. ↑ Hatfield, Luke (12 November 2020). "Maz Kouhyar: Walsall team-mate branded me a 'terrorist'". Express and Star. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "Hereford FC sign Afghanistan international Maziar Kouhyar". Hereford Times. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  12. 1 2 "FA Trophy final 2020–21: Hereford 1–3 Hornchurch". BBC Sport. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Trio Celebrate February National League North Accolades". www.thenationalleague.org.uk. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Goddard, Ben (28 February 2022). "Maziar Kouhyar attracts attention from league scouts". Hereford Times. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Maziar Kouhyar signs for York City". York City FC. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  16. ↑ "Kouhyar goal secures Spennymoor win". York City FC. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  17. 1 2 "York secure promotion back to the National League". www.yorkcityfootballclub.co.uk. 21 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  18. ↑ Kennedy, Emma (23 January 2024). "York City's Maz Kouhyar returns to Hereford on one-month loan". York Press. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  19. ↑ Bennett, George (16 July 2024). "Kidderminster Harriers swoop for ex-Wolves midfielder in double signing". Express & Star. Retrieved 6 June 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  20. ↑ "National League news - May 2025". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 June 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. ↑ "SIGNING: MAZIAR KOUHYAR". www.nottscountyfc.co.uk. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  22. ↑ "Walsall Midfielder Maziar Kouhyar Undergoes Surgery". bescotbanter. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  23. ↑ "Oman vs Afghanistan 2 - 0 - FIFA Friendlies - 2017 - August - World Football". www.worldfootball.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  24. ↑ @YorkCityFC (27 March 2022). "Maziar Kouhyar scored in a 3-0 victory yesterday whilst on International duty with Afghanistan against Kuwait! Our new man flying 👊" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 March 2022 – via Twitter.
  25. 1 2 "Games played by Maziar Kouhyar in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  26. ↑ "Games played by Maziar Kouhyar in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  27. ↑ "Games played by Maziar Kouhyar in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  28. ↑ "National League North and South clubs vote to null and void season but National League to continue". Sky Sports. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  29. ↑ "Games played by Maziar Kouhyar in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  30. ↑ "Maziar Kouhyar". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "Notts County 3–0 Salford City: Line-ups". BBC Sport. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
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