Joya-Maria Azzi

Lebanese footballer (born 2000)

Joya-Maria Azzi
Azzi with EFP in 2021
Personal information
Full name Joya-Maria Maroun Azzi[1]
Date of birth (2000-09-23) 23 September 2000 (age 25)
Place of birth Ajaltoun, Lebanon[1]
Height 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Position(s)
Team information
Current team
EFP
Youth career
2013–2019 Zouk Mosbeh
2019–2020 EFP
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Central Methodist Eagles 17 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Zouk Mosbeh
2019–2021 EFP (2)
2022 Iowa Raptors FC (1)
2023 San Francisco Nighthawks (1)
2024–2025 Missouri Reign (0)
2025– EFP 0 (0)
International career
2018–2019 Lebanon U19 6 (0)
2018–2023 Lebanon 12 (1)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Lebanon
WAFF Women's Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2019
WAFF U-18 Women's Championship
Silver medal – second place 2018 U-18 Team
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:13, 15 February 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 19:36, 10 July 2023 (UTC)

Joya-Maria Maroun Azzi (Arabic: جويا ماريا مارون قزي; born 23 September 2000) is a Lebanese footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or left-back for Lebanese club EFP.

Early life

Born in Ajaltoun, Lebanon, Azzi grew up in Okaibe, where she began playing football aged four.[2] She initially played with local boys teams, before playing futsal with her high school team aged 13.[2]

Club career

Early career

Azzi joined her first girls football team at 14 years old, when she moved to Zouk Mosbeh.[2] She then played for the under-17s and under-18s, before making her senior debut in the Lebanese Women's Football League.[2] Aged 18, she moved to EFP, playing for both their under-19 and senior teams.[2] Azzi played two years for EFP.[2]

Move to the United States

Central Methodist Eagles

On 3 August 2021, Azzi joined the Central Methodist Eagles, the team of the Central Methodist University.[3] She made her debut on 25 August, as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4–0 win against the William Woods Owls.[4]

Azzi played 11 regular season games, and helped her team finish as both league and tournament champions of the 2021 Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament.[5][6] She also finished semi-finalist of the NAIA Women's Soccer Championship.[7]

Azzi played 17 games throughout three seasons (2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24) for the side, providing one assist.[8]

Women's Premier Soccer League

On 28 March 2022, Azzi moved to Iowa Raptors FC in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL).[2][9] She was listed in the 2022 WPSL All-Conference Best XI.[10]

Azzi joined San Francisco Nighthawks ahead of the 2023 WPSL season.[11]

On 30 April 2024, Azzi joined Missouri Reign for the 2024 WPSL season.[12] She re-signed for the club on 26 April 2025, taking part in her fourth WPSL season in 2025.[13]

Return to EFP

On 5 November 2025, Azzi returned to EFP ahead of the 2025–26 Lebanese Women's Football League.[14]

International career

In 2018, Azzi was called up to play for the Lebanon national under-19 team, playing eight games.[2] She got her first call up to the senior team in 2018.[2] Azzi was called up to represent Lebanon at the 2022 WAFF Women's Championship;[15] she helped her side finish runners-up, scoring a goal against Syria on 4 September.[16]

Personal life

Azzi grew up attending Marist College of Our Lady of Lourdes in Byblos, Lebanon.[13] She graduated from the Central Methodist University in 2024.[13]

Career statistics

International

Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Azzi goal.
List of international goals scored by Joya-Maria Azzi
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 4 September 2022 Petra Stadium, Amman, Jordan  Syria 2–0 5–2 2022 WAFF Championship

Honours

Zouk Mosbeh

EFP

  • Lebanese Women's FA Cup: 2020–21

Central Methodist Eagles

Lebanon U18

Lebanon

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Joya-Maria Azzi". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Smith, Alexis (28 March 2022). "Iowa Raptors FC add Joya-Maria Azzi and Noor Noujaim to the Women's Team". Iowa Raptors FC. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. ^ Eleven Football Pro [@efpwfc]; (3 August 2021). "We are so proud of our player JOYA for joining Eagles Women's team in the USA! Good luck with your future career and education! 💙💛" – via Instagram.
  4. ^ "Central Methodist vs. William Woods - Box Score - 8/25/2021". Central Methodist University. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  5. ^ "No. 5 Central completes perfect conference slate with 6-0 shut out of Park". 31 October 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ "CMU claims third straight Heart Tournament title with 5-2 victory over Missouri Valley". 14 November 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ "Eagles end season with No. 3 national ranking". 15 December 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ https://www.cmueagles.com/sports/wsoc/2023-24/bios/azzi_joya-maria_hyok?view=career&pos=kickers
  9. ^ https://www.wpslsoccer.com/news/2022/05/13/iowa-raptors-fc-building-inaugural-wpsl-roster-around-international-talent
  10. ^ https://www.wpslsoccer.com/news/2022/08/23/central-region-player-awards
  11. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/CqexvA8OC-a/?hl=en&img_index=2
  12. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/C6ZfS0FPdyK/
  13. ^ a b c https://www.instagram.com/p/DI7LpSbBJnb/?img_index=1
  14. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/DQq3K8qEyYS
  15. ^ "وصول سيدات الأرز الى الأردن للمشاركة في بطولة غرب آسيا". The LFA (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  16. ^ الأردن يتوج ببطولة السيدات السابعة.. ويضيف اللقب الخامس إلى سجله [Jordan win the seventh women's championship.. and add a fifth title to their record]. West Asian Football Federation (in Arabic). 5 September 2022. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  • Profile at WPSL
  • Profile at the Central Methodist Eagles
  • Joya-Maria Azzi at FA Lebanon
  • Joya-Maria Azzi at Global Sports Archive
  • Joya-Maria Azzi at Kooora.com (in Arabic) (archived in English at Goalzz.com)
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