Can Boufal eclipse Salah as he looks to erase Afcon regrets?

Sofiane Boufal and Mohamed Salah’s careers appeared to be going in different directions back in 2016, but their lives have taken variant trajectories in recent years ahead of their meeting in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final between Morocco and Egypt.

Six years ago, Salah’s time in the Premier League appeared to have come to an end, with Chelsea selling the forward to AS Roma on a permanent deal for €15 million after just 13 top flight outings, with the Egyptian having failed to make his mark in English football.

Just over three weeks later, Southampton parted with a club record £16 million to bring Boufal to England following an exceptional season in Ligue 1 with LOSC Lille, where he inspired Les Dogues to a fifth-placed finish.

Soon, Salah would be back, and while Boufal enjoyed occasional moments of brilliance in the Premier League, his legacy in the English game can’t be compared with the top flight’s all-time top scoring African player.

At international level, the supremely talented Boufal has also endured testing times and moments of bitter disappointment.

There was his failure to make the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squad due to injury, his omission from Herve Renard’s 2018 World Cup squad, and then the penalty miss in the shock shootout loss against Benin as Morocco were humbled in the Last 16 at the 2019 Afcon.

While few in the continent could make his technical class, dribbling skills and mastery of a football, he’s appeared destined to become one of African football’s forgotten men.

It’s a stark contrast to Salah, who’s regularly mentioned in Ballon d’Or discussions, has won both the Premier League and the Champions League, and inspired Egypt to World Cup qualification, and a Nations Cup final.

Boufal is under no illusion as to how his career has left a lot to be desired, but perhaps here, on the fields of Cameroon, he’s finally taking his opportunity to leave a lasting mark in the continental arena.

“I have some bad memories,” Boufal told GOAL, remembering his failure to make the cut in 2015 and 2018, and his penalty miss three years ago, “but seriously, I’m an optimistic person, and I prefer to look forward rather than back.

“You can’t be in control of everything, but the most important thing is to have no regrets—I’m doing everything I can do, ensure I have none.”

In the absence of Hakim Ziyech, cut from the national team by head coach Vahid Halilhodzic in light of disciplinary issues, Boufal has taken the creative reins for the Atlas Lions.

He appears to be relishing centre stage, netting the late winner against Ghana in Morocco’s opener and then an equaliser against Gabon as the 1976 champions progressed into the knockouts as Group C winners.

So far, his performances have eclipsed those of Salah who, winner against Guinea-Bissau aside, has struggled to help a goal-shy Egypt team put opponents to bed.

“We’ve had a good Nations Cup so far, but I’m not under any specific pressure,” Boufal continued. “I’m going forward now to succeed.

“There’s no more pressure on me because of the expectation,” he added. “Expectation does different things to different players, but i’ll just try to do my best.

“There’s no more specific pressure on me if the expectation is much greater, that’s happening because I’ve done interesting things in the tournament.”

As well as his goals, Boufal is also averaging 3.3 chances created per match -- second only to Youcef Belaili of Algeria — and 2.5 completed dribbles per match.

He’s eclipsing Salah in both categories, but now has his work cut out ensuring Morocco progress to the Last Four at the expense of the seven-time champions, with the Atlas Lions criticised for their inefficient finishing so far.

“I’m not a player who lets things get into my head,” Boufal continued. “I’m a player who plays without pressure.

“I try to be optimistic in life and try to see the glass half full rather than half empty, we’re lucky to create many chances, more than any other team in the Afcon, so this is an asset.

“However, during the big matches, the big meetings, they are played on the details, so we have to do better with our finishing and take our chances.”

Salah, who has 16 league goals so far this season, knows better than any the value of sticking chances away, but will it be the Liverpool man, or Boufal—the man who once eclipsed him in the transfer window—who will steal the show on Sunday?