Egypt star Mohamed Salah “doesn’t impress” Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar, who has claimed that France international Kylian Mbappe is on a different level to the Liverpool forward.
Since his move to the Reds from Roma in 2017, Salah has been a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s side and playing a significant role in helping them win the Champions League and Premier League.
The Egyptian has continued his incredible form in the 2021-22 season, scoring 16 league goals in 20 appearances before jetting off to the AFCON, although Aboubakar, who will come up against Salah in Thursday’s semi-final clash, isn’t his biggest fan.
“I see him as he was before,” Aboubakar told RFI. “He’s having a great season in the Premier League, helping his country to advance in this competition (Afcon). I wish him a lot of luck. May the best man win!
“I’m not very impressed with him. I say it clearly because I am an honest person and I have my own way of seeing things. If he impressed me, I would say so. But he doesn’t impress me much.
“He’s a good player, he scores a lot but he doesn’t produce a lot of stuff in the game. Of course he does good things in the Premier League because he’s been in a team for years.
“He is a good player but not at the level of someone like Mbappe.”
Cameroon face Egypt in Thursday’s AFCON semi-final clash at the Olembe Stadium, with the winner advancing to the final to take on Senegal on February 6.
The last time both teams met in this competition was in the final of Gabon 2017 – where the Indomitable Lions reigned supreme with a 2-1 win at the Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville – with Aboubakar netting the winner.
Carlos Queiroz’s men can take comfort from their Afcon record against Cameroon, having won the previous three matches between the two sides, scoring nine goals.
As for Aboubakar and Salah, the latter has scored two goals so far at the 2021 Afcon, as well as netting the winning spot-kick in Egypt’s round-of-16 victory over Ivory Coast.
Al Nassr striker Aboubakar, meanwhile, is the leading scorer in the tournament having netted six goals from the five matches he’s featured in.
Goal
