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Ten years after his departure from Toulouse, goalkeeper Ali Ahamada has officially signed with Sporting Club Aubagne Air-Bel (SCAAB) in France’s Ligue 3. The 35-year-old Comoran international brings a globe-trotting resume back to French football after spells in Turkey, Norway, Andorra, and Tanzania.
The shot-stopper, who earned 37 international caps for the Comoros, did not arrive in the south of France entirely cold. Ahamada had already been training with the SCAAB squad since the beginning of the previous season, smoothing the transition into his dual role as both player and mentor.
Mentoring the Next Generation at Aubagne
Far from merely filling out the squad sheet, Ahamada steps into a structured player-development framework at Aubagne. His primary assignment on the pitch involves nurturing the club’s young talent.
Speaking on the plateau of BFMTV Marseille, Ahamada detailed his hands-on mandate within the dressing room: “It’s surtout an accompagnement to try to frame these two young guards who are Tiago [Moreira, 21] and Issiaka [Touré, 21]. To be able to back them up, advise them, be with them on a daily basis to transmit the values of very high level, the requirement that this demands.”
Beyond his duties with the first team, Ahamada has actively laid the groundwork for his post-playing career. He recently launched his private goalkeeper academy in Aubagne, operating in partnership with the club and catering initially to players at the U13 level.
Looking Back on a Rapid Rise at Toulouse
Ahamada’s return to France inevitably casts a spotlight on his early emergence with Toulouse in Ligue 1. Launched into professional football back in 2011, his ascent caught even him by surprise.
“Everything went very fast and everything chained,” Ahamada recalled, noting his unconventional path that began as a central defender and midfielder before making the permanent switch to goal at age 14.
That rise reached a dramatic peak in September 2012, when he scored a goal in stoppage time against Stade Rennes to salvage a 2-2 draw at the Stadium. While the feat cemented his place in French football lore, it also invited intense media scrutiny. Yet, Ahamada insists the famous goal was never a poisoned chalice, stating that he would repeat the goal if given the chance.
A Globe-Trotting Decade Away from Ligue 1
Following his eventual departure from Toulouse, Ahamada’s career transformed into an international odyssey. Between 2016 and 2025, his passport collected stamps from Kayserispor in Turkey, Kongsvinger IL and SK Brann in Norway, UE Santa Coloma in Andorra, and stints with Azam FC and KMC FC in Tanzania.
Among these diverse stops, the fervent football culture in Turkey left a lasting impression. He praised the absolute passion for the game at Kayserispor, while also expressing pleasant surprise at the rising infrastructure and competitive standard of the Tanzanian league, which he equates to the level of French Ligue 3.
Now, settled back in France with Aubagne, Ahamada balances the physical demands of Ligue 3 competition with the foundational work of coaching the next generation of goalkeepers. Whether passing down elite standards to young prospects in the south of France or managing his newly minted academy, his journey full circle shows his endurance in a notoriously unforgiving position.
