Simon Tahamata


Simon Melkianus Tahamata is a former Dutch football player originating from the Maluku Islands, who has played for Dutch and Belgian clubs. He has played 22 times for the Dutch national team, for which he scored twice. Tahamata was born in the Netherlands, but took Belgian nationality in 1990.

Club career

As a youth player Tahamata played for Theole from Tiel and for Ajax from Amsterdam. Then on 24 October 1976 he made his debut for Ajax Amsterdam,. With Ajax he won the national title three times and he was runner-up once. With Ajax he played three national cup finals, where the middle was won. Tahamata reached with Ajax the semi-final of the European Cup I tournament.
Mid 1980 Tahamata left for Belgium, where he played for Standard Liège. With this team he became national champion twice. With Standard he won the national cup once. Tahamata reached with Standard the final of the European Cup II tournament. In 1984, he returned to the Netherlands to play for Feyenoord. In 1987, he again joined the Belgian competition, playing for Beerschot and Germinal Ekeren. With Germinal he once more reached the final of the national cup. Tahamata finished his career as an active football player in 1996.

International career

Tahamata made his national team debut on 22 May 1979 in Bern, Switzerland in the 75th Anniversary Match of the FIFA against Argentina. He went on to earn eventually 22 caps and scoring 2 goals. He played his last international match on 21 December 1986 in Limassol, Cyprus against Cyprus.

Managerial career

After his career as a professional football player Tahamata went on to work as a youth coach for Standard Liège, Germinal Beerschot and Ajax Amsterdam. Occasionally he also played for the team of old Ajax players, named Lucky Ajax. From 2009 he worked for a period as a technical coach for the youth teams of under-10 until under-15 of the Saudi Arabian football club Al-Ahli. Since October 2014 Tahamata is back at Ajax. He works as a technical skills coach for the youth teams of the Amsterdam football club and trains the wingers specifically and individually.
Since September 2015, next to his duties at Ajax he also has a football academy, Simon Tahamata Soccer Academy, where talented players with a 'difficult' character and/or cultural background are offered an individual plan of development. The specific training contributes to the development of the player and aims to maximize the football qualities and the character of the player.

Career statistics

International appearances

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionTime
1.10 September 1980Dublin, Ireland0–12–1World Cup 1982 qualifier
2.10 November 1982Rotterdam, Netherlands1–01–2Friendly match

Honours

Club

AFC Ajax
Standard Liège
Beerschot
In 1979, Simon Tahamata released the 7"-vinyl single "We gaan naar Rome" ahead of the UEFA Euro 1980 tournament, following the Netherlands placement amongst the final eight.
Since 2013 Arriva rides on the lines in the Achterhoek with treinstel 10254 named Simon Tahamata.