Maziar Kouhyar
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 Kouhyar with York City in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Qamaruddin Maziar Kouhyar[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 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 | 1 | (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 Two club Notts County, and the Afghanistan national team. He is the first Afghan to play professionally in Great Britain.[3]
Walsall
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]
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
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]
