Mahamoud: Comoros' belief is growing with every game

• Comoros forward Adel Mahamoud speaks exclusively to FIFA

• His nation have won opening two CAF World Cup qualifiers

• The 21-year-old plays club football in France for Nantes

"The only source of knowledge is experience. All the rest is just information."

Albert Einstein may not have been talking about football when he uttered those famous words, but they perfectly encapsulate what budding players come to realise as they embark on their professional journeys.

Of course, some individuals have the good fortune to accumulate considerable experience earlier and more quickly than others. That is certainly true of Nantes striker Adel Mahamoud, who continues to forge his path in top-level football.

Now aged 21, the Comorian represented Viry-Chatillon until U-13 level before joining the prestigious Nantes academy, where he has patiently honed his craft and worked his way up to the U-19 team and now the reserve side.

By the time he made his Nantes first-team debut in a Coupe de France match against Stade Lavallois in January 2024, Mahamoud had already featured in a European competition – the UEFA Youth League – and represented his native Comoros at senior level. After previously playing with the national U-20 team, the forward was given five minutes with the seniors in their 1-0 friendly defeat to Tunisia (1-0) in Rades in September 2022, when just 19 years old.

"Playing in the UEFA Youth League as well as being an U-20 and senior international adds a lot to your CV," said Mahamoud, who has also made his Ligue 1 debut this season. "The Youth League is incredible because it's the Champions League for youngsters."

Mahamoud played in that competition in 2022/23 by virtue of Nantes’ victory the previous year in France’s Championnat National U19. This year, the latest generation of Canaris have made it to the semi-finals of the Youth League, where they will face Greece’s Olympiacos on 19 April – albeit without Mahamoud, who is now competing at a higher level.

And while there was nothing fortuitous about Mahamoud's early achievements, his apprenticeship was not without some painful episodes. As a teenager, Nantes decided to send him home for a little over a year due to "behavioural problems".

"I'm someone who likes to have a lot of fun and I didn't take football seriously back then," Mahamoud admitted. "For me, football was still a hobby. For example, when I wanted to dribble, I dribbled, even if it came to nothing. I was doing too many things. And I didn't realise where football could take me. I only discovered that late on. In fact, it wasn't long ago that I became aware of it."

Several factors led to that realisation, namely the support of his family – especially that of his sister Hamida, 12 years his senior – band above all a trip that allowed the Juvisy-sur-Orge native to return to his roots.

"I spent two weeks on holiday in Comoros, which is a beautiful country," Mahamoud said. "This trip had a big impact on me, and I saw a different way of life. I also saw where my parents came from, which opened my mind and motivated me even more to want to make everyone proud. That trip came at exactly the right time."

The player’s subsequent on-field performances have been no less impactful. "The turning point was winning a trophy with the Nantes U-19s and getting called up by Comoros. It opened my eyes to a lot of things. I got to see what an adult world is like and what 'real' football or adult football is. That's when I told myself that I had this great chance and had to seize it."

It is an opportunity that the striker has no intention of squandering. Described by Nantes coach Stephane Ziani as possessing "an incredible first touch, good counter-attacking skills and above-average technical ability", Mahamoud got the chance to put his maturity to the test last November, when he was called in to the Comoros senior side for their FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifiers.

The attacker came on with two minutes remaining in their 4-2 win over the Central African Republic and was on the bench for their shock 1-0 win over Ghana. He had already played a quarter-of-an-hour in a 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against eventual champions Côte d'Ivoire n March 2023.

Now Mahamoud is determined to carefully watch the senior members of the Comoros national team, glean as much knowledge as he can from them, and integrate it into his game.

"I'd obviously like to be out there playing and combining with them, but maybe it's not yet the right time," he said. "I'm watching and learning in the hope that it will soon be my turn. I look at the others, like Rafiki Said, because we play in the same position, and also [Youssouf] M'Changama. He's really the kind of player you need in a team, exemplary in every respect – on and off the pitch and in the way he speaks. I have a lot to learn from him and his advice will help me a great deal. There's Faiz Selemani, who’s amazing too. During the March international break, I was on the bench and really enjoyed watching them. It was magnificent."

As well as following the example of the senior Comoros players, the striker believes is also learning a lot from head coach Stefano Cusin. "Stefano is someone who loves the game," Mahamoud added. "I think he eats, sleeps and breathes football books and videos (laughs). He loves us players, too ,and does everything he can to help us achieve our goals. And from a personal point of view, he gives me more self-belief through all the confidence that he shows in me."

Indeed, it appears the entire Comoros team is benefitting from Cusin's leadership. Ahead of their next qualifiers in June, the nation sit atop Group I after winning their opening two games. So, has that fast start got the team visualising what would be a maiden World Cup appearance in Mexico, the United States and Canada in two years’ time?

"I believe with every bone in my body that it’s possible!" enthused Mahamoud. "We all believe in it. Who wouldn't dream of a World Cup? I’ve talked about it with other young players like Adel Anzimati and Aymeric [Ahmed], and we’ve dreamed about it. We say to each other, 'Imagine us over there'. The more qualifying games go by, the more we believe. With the squad we have, it is possible. It's going to be tough, but we can do it. We're just going to take it one step at a time."

Advancing little by little and learning through observation and experience – Einstein would certainly approve.

Photos (FC Nantes) : Arnaud Duret @FC Nantes