Moussa Sissako

Moussa Sissako
	Sissako with Sochi in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth	10 November 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth	Clichy, France
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	RWDM Molenbeek; (on loan from Sochi)
Number	44
Youth career
2006–2012	RC France
2012–2019	Paris Saint-Germain
Senior career*
Years	Team
2017–2019	Paris Saint-Germain B
2019–2020	Paris Saint-Germain
2020	→ Standard Liège (loan)
2020–2022	Standard Liège
2022–	Sochi
2023–	→ RWD Molenbeek (loan)
International career‡
2021–	Mali
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 March 2024; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:27, 3 October 2022 (UTC)

Moussa Sissako (born 10 November 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for the Belgian Pro League club RWD Molenbeek, on loan from Russian Premier League club Sochi. Born in France, he plays for the Mali national team.

Club career

Paris Saint-Germain

Sissako joined Paris Saint-Germain from RC France in 2012. He signed his first professional contract on 1 June 2018, a deal that linked him with PSG until 30 June 2021.^[2] During the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons, Sissako played for PSG's B team, making a total of 24 appearances and scoring 1 goal.^{[citation needed]}

Standard Liège

On 28 January 2020, Sissako joined Belgian club Standard Liège on a six-month loan with an option to buy.^[3] At the end of the season, the deal was made permanent for a fee of €400,000.^[4]^[5] He made his professional debut in a 4–1 Belgian Cup win over Seraing on 3 February 2021.^[6]

Sochi

On 1 September 2022, Sissako joined Russian Premier League club Sochi.^[7]

RWD Molenbeek

On 6 September 2023, Sissako joined Belgian Pro League club RWD Molenbeek on loan with an option to buy. He also signed a four-year contract with the club which will be in place in case the option to buy is exercised.^[8] On 11 February 2024, Sissako suffered a tendon tear injury that would make him unable to play from 9 to 12 months.^[9]

International career

Born in France, Sissako holds French and Malian nationalities.^[10] He has regularly been called up to play with the France youth teams in the past.^[11] He was called up by the Mali U23 team for the 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, but was not capped.^[12] He debuted for the senior Mali national team in a 5–0 FIFA World Cup qualification win over Kenya on 7 October 2021.^[13]

Style of play

Usually a left-sided centre-back, Sissako is versatile enough to play on both central defensive positions of a back four. He occasionally plays on the right side of a back three, and sometimes as the central defender in a back five.^[14] He is good with both of his feet.^[15] PSG youth coach François Rodrigues has described Sissako as a player that is "very aggressive on the field".^[16]

Personal life

One of his brothers, Abdoulaye, is also a footballer. Souleymane, his other brother, is his adviser.^[17]

In October 2020, Sissako tested positive for COVID-19, along with several of his teammates at Standard Liège.^[18]

Career statistics

As of match played 27 November 2022

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Paris Saint-Germain B	2017–18	National 2	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	2018–19	National 2	23	1	—		—		—		23	1
	Total		24	1	—		—		—		24	1
Standard Liège (loan)	2019–20	First Division A	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
Standard Liège	2020–21	First Division A	8	0	4	0	0	0	—		12	0
	2021–22	First Division A	19	1	3	0	—		—		22	1
	Total		27	1	7	0	0	0	—		34	1
Sochi	2022–23	RPL	6	1	5	0	—		—		11	1
Career total			57	3	12	0	0	0	—		69	3

Honours

Standard Liège

Belgian Cup runner-up: 2020–21^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Moussa Sissako at WorldFootball.net
^ "Moussa Sissako signs first professional contract". Paris Saint-Germain. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ "Moussa Sissako loaned to Standard de Liège". Paris Saint-Germain. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ "Moussa Sissako : le Franco-Malien devrait quitter le PSG pour le Standard" [Moussa Sissako: the French-Malian should leave PSG for Standard]. Africa Top Sports (in French). 9 April 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ "Moussa Sissako : L'international U23 Malien s'engage avec le Standard de Liège" [Moussa Sissako: The Malian U23 international signs for Standard Liège]. Africa Top Sports (in French). 12 June 2020.
^ "Croky Cup: le Standard domine le RFC Seraing sur un terrain à la limite du praticable (vidéo)" [Croky Cup: Standard dominates RFC Seraing on a field that is almost unplayable (video)]. RTL Sport (in French). 3 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
^ "Мусса Сиссако перешёл в "Сочи"!" [Moussa Sissako joins Sochi!]. pfcsochi.ru (in Russian). 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
^ "WELKOM, MOUSSA SISSAKO !" [WELCOME MOUSSA SISSAKO !] (in Dutch). RWDM. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
^ "MOUSSA SISSAKO INDISPONIBLE POUR UNE DURÉE DE 9 À 12 MOIS" [MOUSSA SISSAKO UNAVAILABLE FOR A PERIOD OF 9 TO 12 MONTHS] (in French). RWD Molenbeek. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
^ "Moussa SISSAKO -".
^ Gropallo, Thomas (2018). "" Nos titis ont du talent " saison 2 : Moussa Sissako" ["Our titis have talent" season 2: Moussa Sissako]. Paris United (in French). Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ Nalton, James (8 November 2019). "9 Players To Watch At The 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations". World Football Index. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ "FIFA". FIFA. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
^ Oates, Kathleen (2 January 2020). "Moussa Sissako: Who is the Paris Saint-Germain defender linked with a move to Celtic?". The Scotsman. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ Lantheaume, Romain (29 October 2019). "PSG : Moussa Sissako dit oui au Mali pour la CAN U23 !" [PSG: Moussa Sissako says yes to Mali for the U23 CAN!]. Afrik Foot (in French). Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ Owen, Danny (January 2020). "Celtic reportedly enter talks to sign £2M youngster with 'the world at his feet'". HITC. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ "Souleymane Sissako nous dresse le portrait de son frère Moussa : "C'était inconcevable pour lui de rater un entraînement"" [Souleymane Sissako gives us a description of his brother Moussa: "It was inconceivable for him to miss a training session"]. dhnet.be (in French). 8 April 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
^ "Covid-19 cases hit Standard Liege squad ahead of Rangers visit". Yahoo Sports. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.