Makalu Xowi

Makalu Xowi
Personal information
Full name Makalu François Xowi
Date of birth (1999-04-20) 20 April 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth New Caledonia
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Central Sport
Number 7
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2018 Ne Drehu
2018–2023 Temanava
2022 → CO Hmeleck (loan)
2023– Central Sport 18 (32)
International career‡
2023– New Caledonia 7 (5)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  New Caledonia
Pacific Games
Winner 2023 Solomon Islands
MSG Prime Minister's Cup
Runner-up 2023 New Caledonia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 April 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 November 2023 (UTC)

Makalu Xowi (born 20 April 1999) is a New Caledonian footballer currently playing for Central Sport and the New Caledonia national team.

Club career

From a young age, Xowi played for SC Ne Drehu of the New Caledonia Super Ligue. In 2013 he scored his club's only goal in a league victory over AS Tiga Sport. The victory was Ne Drehu's first of the 2013 season following five defeats. The goal was the player's second of the season.[1]

Xowi moved abroad to join Tahiti's A.S. Temanava in 2018. In 2019 the club competed in the Tahiti Ligue 2. Xowi became a consistent scorer in the league, scoring a hattrick against A.S. Tiare Tahiti on 13 October.[2] Xowi was Ligue 2's top scorer for the 20/21 season.[3] The club worked its way up to the Tahiti Ligue 1 with Xowi scoring twenty-two goals for the club in the league during the 2022-23 season. In 2022, he also had a brief return to New Caledonian football, joining CO Hmeleck on loan. While with the club, he competed in the 2022 Coupe de Calédonie in a match against AS Lössi.[4] He continued his dominant scoring that season back in Tahiti, with performances including five goals in a 7–2 victory over Aito Taurea FC in the 2022 Coupe Élite Tahiti[5] and a brace against A.S. Pueu to earn Temanava its third-straight Ligue 2 victory.[6]

International career

Following two impressive seasons with Temanava, newly appointed New Caledonia manager Johann Sidaner gave Xowi his first senior call-ups for a pair of friendlies against Tahiti in March 2023.[4] The matches were considered a tryout for the 2023 Pacific Games. Sidaner stated that he had full confidence in Xowi because of his goal tally in Tahiti and his observations of the player during his time with CO Hmeleck.[7] Xowi made his debut on 21 March 2023, scoring his first goal in the eventual 2–1 victory.[8] Three days later he made his second appearance, scoring again, as New Caledonia were defeated 1–2.[9][10][11] Later in 2023, Xowi was included in New Caledonia's squad for the 2023 MSG Prime Minister's Cup.[12] In the team's second match of the tournament, he scored in a 3–1 victory over Papua New Guinea.[13]

International goals

Scores and results list New Caledonia's goal tally first.[9]

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 21 March 2023 Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Pirae, Tahiti  Tahiti 1–0 2–0 Friendly
2. 24 March 2023 Stade Pater Te Hono Nui, Pirae, Tahiti  Tahiti 1–1 1–2 Friendly
3. 11 October 2023 Stade Yoshida, Koné, New Caledonia  Papua New Guinea
3–1
3–1
 2023 MSG Prime Minister's Cup
4. 24 November 2023 SIFF Academy Field, Honiara, Solomon Islands  Cook Islands
3–0
8–0
 2023 Pacific Games
5. 28 November 2023 Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands  Vanuatu
1–0
1–0
 2023 Pacific Games
Last updated 28 November 2023

International career statistics

As of match played 28 November 2023[9]

New Caledonia
Year Apps Goals
2023 7 5
Total 7 5

Career statistics

Club

As of 21 May 2024
Club Season League Cup Others Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Temanava 2018-19 Division 2
2019-20 11 18 1 1 12 19
2020-21 Ligue 2 5 10 1 1 6 11
2021-22 Ligue 1 21 26 2 6 23 32
2022-23 17 22 17 22
Central Sport 2023-24 Ligue 1 18 32 2 1 0 0 20 33
Total 72 108 3 2 3 7 78 117

Honours

New Caledonia

References

  1. ^ "La première de Ne Drehu" (in French). Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Tahiti Tiara 0 Temanava 3" (in French). Tahitian Football Federation. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Remise des prix - Saison 21-22". Tahitian Football Federation. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b "INTERVIEW I MAKALU XOWI (Sélection Calédonie A)" (in French). New Caledonian Football Federation. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  5. ^ "AS Temanava 7 Aito Taurea 2" (in French). Tahitian Football Federation. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Dragon réduit à dix résiste à Pirae, Temanava enchaine face à Pueu" (in French). Tahitis Infos. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Retour aux affaires pour notre SELECTION A (matchs amicaux FIFA" (in French). New Caledonian Football Federation. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Des Cagous plus impliqués dominent les Toa 'Aito" (in French). Tahitis Infos. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Solomons lift tri-nations football series with win over Fiji". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  11. ^ Monnier, Jean-Marc. "Football : Victoire des Toa Aito 2-1 face aux Cagous" (in French). La Depeche de Tahiti. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Les 23 cagous pour la MSG PRIME MINISTERS CUP" (in French). Football Federation of New Caledonia. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  13. ^ Lebreton, Nicolas. "Prime Ministers Cup : les Salomon et la Calédonie doublent la mise" (in French). Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Football at the 2023 Pacific Games-New Caledonia Squad". Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  15. ^ "MSG Prime Minister's Cup-New Caledonia Squad". Retrieved 18 November 2024.