Moustapha Salifou is a Togolese footballer born on June 1, 1983 in Lome. He plays as either as a midfielder or a striker for Aston Villa Football Club.
Being a member of the Togo national team, Moustapha Salifou was selected to play in the 2006 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup. He was a part of the team in their matches against South Korea, Switzerland and France. His exceptional performance in the 2006 World Cup caught the attention of various French league clubs, and his compatriot, Emmanuel Adebayor nicknamed him as the “Togolese Zidane”. As of 2008, he has appeared in 37 matches for his national team.
Moustapha Salifou began his career in football by joining Modèle de Lomé in 2001-02. Later from 2002-05, he played for Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, a German club. He appeared in 33 matches during his span of three years with the club. In 2005, Moustapha Salifou switched to Stade Brest 29, a French football club and this contract lasted for a year.
After a short stint with FC Wil from 2006-07, Moustapha Salifou signed a one year deal with Aston Villa in August 2007 following a successful trial. He won the confidence of the club’s manager, Martin O'Neill, who felt that he would be a great asset for the club. Moustapha Salifou made his debut, and contributed two goals for Aston Villa Reserves in their 6-0 win against Chelsea reserves in October 2007. The following year, he made his first team debut for the club as a substitute in their win over Reading. In 2008, Moustapha Salifou also represented the club for the second time by coming as a late substitute in a match against Manchester United at Portsmouth on March 15, 2008. He again played as a late substitute in another match against the same opponent team.
Moustapha Salifou is cheered by his fans almost every time he comes to the field. Aston Villa has rewarded him with an one-year extension to his contract, so he will play for the club until June 2009. He aspires to give his best for Aston Villa in the forthcoming seasons.
