Ayoub Aleesami
{{short description|Norwegian footballer (born 1997)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ayoub Aleesami
| image =
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|2|9|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| height = 1.85 m
| position = Defender
| currentclub = KFUM
| clubnumber = 3
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Holmlia
| youthyears2 = –2013
| youthclubs2 = Lyn
| youthyears3 = 2014–2015
| youthclubs3 = Skeid
| years1 = 2015–2019
| clubs1 = Skeid
| caps1 = 67
| goals1 = 3
| years2 = 2020–2022
| clubs2 = Fredrikstad
| caps2 = 49
| goals2 = 3
| years4 = 2022–
| clubs4 = KFUM
| caps4 = 56
| goals4 = 2
| club-update = 6 June 2025
}}
Ayoub Aleesami (born 9 February 1996) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a defender for KFUM.
Personal life
Ayoub Aleesami is the younger brother of Haitam Aleesami, both being of Moroccan descent. While Ayoub and Haitam have similar appearances, the latter is vastly more known due to him playing internationally, thus Ayoub is often confused for Haitam in the street.{{cite news|url=https://www.f-b.no/jeg-blir-gjerne-forvekslet-med-min-bror/s/5-59-1990126|title=– Jeg blir gjerne forvekslet med min bror!|last=Henriksen|first=Vidar|date=24 September 2020|work=Fredriksstad Blad|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}}
Career
Aleesami started his career in Holmlia SK.{{cite news|url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/oslo/sport/trikkeligaen/2022/08/05/kaffa-forsterker-med-midtstopper-provd-a-hente-han-mange-ganger/|title=Kåffa forsterker med midtstopper: – Prøvd å hente han mange ganger|last=Karstensen|first=Pål|date=5 August 2022|work=Dagsavisen|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}} He also played youth football for Lyn, leaving after the 2013 season for Skeid, for whom he made his senior debut in the 2015 2. divisjon.{{NFF|2232951}} In the winter of 2015–16 he trained with Halmstads BK among others, but decided to pen a two-year contract with Skeid.{{cite news|url=https://www.nab.no/klar-for-to-nye-ar/s/5-143-137528|title=Klar for to nye år|last=Synstad|first=Alexander|date=5 April 2016|work=Nordre Aker Budstikke|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}}
Being a defender, Aleesami scored very seldomly, but managed to get a goal in the 2018 Norwegian Football Cup where Skeid eliminated first-tier club Sandefjord.{{cite news|url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/sandefjord-krisen-fortsetter_-ute-av-cupen-etter-skrekkforestilling-1.14032686|title=Sandefjord-krisen fortsetter: Ute av cupen etter skrekkforestilling|last=Lie|first=Stine Løvmo|display-authors=etal|date=2 May 2018|publisher=NRK|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}} In October 2018, he scored the only goal against Arendal, which put Skeid in a promising position in the hunt for promotion.{{cite news|url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/oslo/nyheter/2018/10/13/skeid-har-opprykket-i-baklomma/|title=Skeid har opprykket i baklomma|date=13 October 2018|work=Dagsavisen|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}} Winning promotion, Skeid experienced a good start to their 2019 1. divisjon campaign.{{cite news|url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/sport/2019/04/11/skeid-og-kfum-har-tatt-nivaet/|title=Skeid og KFUM har tatt nivået|date=11 April 2019|work=Dagsavisen|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}}
After Skeid was relegated, Aleesami started the 2020 2. divisjon campaign with them, before moving to rivals Fredrikstad FK in July. His brother played there many years prior.{{cite news|url=https://www.f-b.no/ayoub-24-om-ffk-valget-samtalen-med-trenerne-overbeviste-meg/s/5-59-1913087|title=Ayoub (24) om FFK-valget: – Samtalen med trenerne overbeviste meg|last=Berg|first=Jacob|date=21 July 2020|work=Fredriksstad Blad|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}} Fredrikstad won promotion in 2020 and Skeid in 2021; when the teams met in 2022, Aleesami scored the decisive goal of the match.{{cite news|url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/demokraten/sport/2022/05/17/aleesami-sorget-for-ffk-fest-og-senket-gamle-lagkamerater/|title=Aleesami sørget for FFK-fest og senket gamle lagkamerater|last=Sollie|first=Reidar|date=16 May 2022|work=Dagsavisen|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}} However, Aleesami was mostly benched by Fredrikstad in 2022, and in the summer he moved back to Oslo and KFUM.{{cite news|url=https://www.f-b.no/to-uker-etter-klubbskiftet-na-snakker-ayoub-aleesami-ut-om-det-a-bli-benket-i-ffk/s/5-59-2695727|title=To uker etter klubbskiftet – nå snakker Ayoub Aleesami ut om det å bli benket i FFK|last=Henriksen|first=Vidar|date=22 August 2022|work=Fredriksstad Blad|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}}
In the 2023 1. divisjon, Aleesami helped KFUM win promotion. As the team prepared for the 2024 Eliteserien, they made a surprise signing when Ayoub's brother Haitam decided to return to Norway. It was the first time the brothers had played on the same team.{{cite news|url=https://www.tv2.no/sport/sjokkerte-broren-sa-ikke-den-komme/16361563/|title=Sjokkerte broren: – Så ikke den komme|last=Hansson|first=Mikkel|date=12 January 2024|publisher=TV 2|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}} Ayoub Aleesami made his Eliteserien debut in May 2024 against Fredrikstad,{{soccerway|ayoub-aleesami/545098}} and scored his first Eliteserien goal against Molde, converting a corner with a header.{{cite news|url=https://www.nettavisen.no/sport/kfum-oslo-sorget-for-at-molde-tapte-en-da-en-hjemmekamp-i-eliteserien/s/5-95-1924562|title=Nuñez og KFUM tok ny storskalp med seier i Molde|last=Pettersen|first=Per Møller|date=20 July 2024|work=Nettavisen|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}} He also scored against Stabæk in the cup.{{cite news|url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/kontroversielle-kfum-til-historisk-semifinale-etter-malshow-1.17072203|title=Kontroversielle KFUM til historisk semifinale etter målshow|date=6 October 2024|publisher=NRK|language=no|access-date=8 November 2024}}
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
{{KFUM squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aleesami, Ayoub}}
Category:Norwegian people of Moroccan descent
Category:Norwegian men's footballers
Category:21st-century Norwegian sportsmen
Category:Footballers from Oslo
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Norwegian First Division players
Category:Norwegian Second Division players
Category:Skeid Fotball players