After they were among the best players in the Qatar World Cup, in which they reached the semi-finals with Morocco in an achievement that is the first of its kind for an African or Arab team, it will be difficult for Sofiane Boufal and Azzedine Onahi to adapt to the idea of returning to their team, Angers, which is struggling from in order to stay in the French League.
Angers will resume its activity in the French League, on Wednesday, once morest its host Ajaccio, looking for only its third victory for the season out of 16 matches, but the bottom of the “Ligue 1” standings will be without its two Moroccan stars, who will return to it in principle on the 31st of this month, unless Their destinations changed in two deals that might lead them to a new team.
In light of his drowning in successive defeats, the financial crisis and the sexual assault case, in which his boss Saeed Chaaban is being tried, Angers really needs the return of his two Moroccan stars, who are considered one of the best dribblers in the world today.
“The World Cup players will be present on December 31,” said temporary coach Abed Bouhazma, on Monday, in a press conference, at a time when Boufal deleted any indication that he was playing with Angers in his accounts on social networking sites, while Shaaban seemed busy trying to get the best. Possible deal to give up Onahi.
In an interview with “RTL” channel he conducted 10 days ago, Shaaban revealed, “We have offers,” adding that “they are coming from everywhere. Italy, Spain, England, France… Our desire is to reach an agreement in January, but with the hope of staying with us.” Until the end of the season.”
“We’ll make the right choice.”
On the Angers website, Onahi focused on the issue of acknowledging the club’s gratitude to him, saying, “It was Angers who gave me the opportunity to play in the World Cup and to be able to reveal and show my qualities to the world.”
As for other matters, “I am in daily contact with the president (Shaaban). We will make the right choice for my career and for the club.”
According to many media outlets, the player’s transfer deal, which is currently linked to Angers until 2026, may exceed 30 million euros, and it seems that Napoli, Italy, Leicester City, Spain, Seville, or even Marseille, France, are among the clubs interested in his services.
Praise poured in on the sides from all sides, the most prominent of which was from Spain coach Luis Enrique, whose former team Barcelona showed interest in contracting with the promising Moroccan, according to the Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”.
Enrique, who was sacked from his position immediately following the elimination by Morocco in the final price, stated that the player he liked most in the ranks of the “Atlas Lions” was Onahi, and he said, “The player with the number 8 played in an amazing way and did not stop running,” explaining that he had spoken with his coaching staff regarding it. And surprised at its level.
Onahi and Boufal shone in the World Cup, prompting Shaaban to prepare to sell them during the winter or summer transfers as long as their marketing value increased. We find solutions.”
He added, “I held a meeting with the board of directors, and they told me that Onahi is a jewel, given his young age and remarkable brilliance. I tell myself that Boufal and Onahi will leave in January or June. We are preparing for everything.”
Onahi was born on April 19, 2000 in Casablanca into a footballing family and joined the ranks of Raja Casablanca for juniors, before moving in 2015 to the Mohammed VI Academy on the outskirts of Sale.
In 2018, he moved to French Strasbourg, but did not play any match, so he joined the reserve team “OS” Avranches in the fifth division on August 3, 2020 in a free transfer, and proved himself the team’s playmaker by showing his technical skills, dribbling and assists.
Boufal son of the club
Then he moved to Angers in July 2021 for four years, and imposed himself in his squad to be invited by Bosnian coach Wahid Halilodjic to defend the colors of the “Atlas Lions” in the African Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.
For Boufal, his departure from Angers will be more bitter than Onahi, as he is the son of the club, and was established spherically in its ranks until he stirred the feelings of the world by dancing with his mother Zubaida on the field following qualifying for the semi-finals.
Boufal joined the club at the age of ten, and made his professional debut nine years later.
He then starred in the ranks of Lille (2015-2016) before experiencing an English disappointment during his passage to Southampton from 2016 to 2020, which prompted him to return to Angers.
And if the player often suffers on the physical level, he always shows that he has not lost any of his technical qualities, which were enough to reserve him a basic place in the African Cup of Nations squad.
At the age of twenty-nine, Boufal is associated with Angers until 2024, but according to many media outlets he has received several offers from Gulf clubs, which may put an end to his second adventure with the club of his football beginnings before reaching the end of this decade.
