- Tweeter
republish
At 34, Mbark Boussoufa is probably playing his last African Cup of Nations. The small midfielder of the Morocco team has however rarely seemed as valuable to the "Atlas Lions" as during this CAN 2019 in Egypt. He has been voted man of the match twice since the start of the competition.
From our special envoy in Cairo,
" It's not the most important thing to be elected man of the match or who scored the goal. The most important thing is to qualify. At the age of 34, Mbark Boussoufa no longer has the time to dwell on personal distinctions such as those he received at the 2019 CAN , after victories over Namibia (1-0) and the South Africa (1-0) . The small midfielder has already collected enough clubs, especially in Belgium where he lived his best seasons between 2004 and 2011.
In Egypt, Mbark Boussoufa is playing his third African Cup of Nations, after a knockout in the first round of the 2012 CAN and a quarter-final exit of the 2017 edition. Obviously, he hopes to go much further in terms of perhaps its last final phase with the "Atlas Lions". " Morocco had never won their first three games. This is the first time for me , he savored this July 4 in Cairo at a press conference before an eighth final against Benin. But my personal case is not really important. If I'm here, it's for my country .
Morocco is not the homeland of Mubarak "Mbark" Boussoufa. The latter was born in Amsterdam where he learned football, especially in the prestigious Ajax. He developed this sense of play and tactical intelligence that today make the happiness of Hervé Renard, coach of the Moroccan selection. "We 've been working together for forty months ," said the Frenchman, who arrived in February 2016. " It's a player who will have marked me, who will stay in my heart. In the field, he is someone exceptional. That's why I never let go . "
A winding journey in clubs
In clubs, the course of Mbark Boussoufa has not always been so linear, far from it. The man who completed his professional training in Chelsea (England) then lived through difficult seasons, after shining a thousand lights in the Belgian championship (Ghent, then Anderlecht). His choice to rally Russia and Anzhi Makhachkala, like the Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o, was thus interpreted as a purely financial option.
The right-hander has long paid this decision certainly very lucrative. Because the Anzhi, plagued by financial worries, pushed him towards the end of 2013. Then his second Russian experience, at Lokomotiv Moscow (2013-2016), was frankly a failure. As for the fact that Mbark Boussoufa rebounded in the United Arab Emirates in 2016, after a short return to Ghent, it probably did not improve his image as a mercenary.
Fortunately for him, Hervé Renard did not stop at all that he could say to himself: " I had heard a lot of things about him. But I did not pay more attention than that because I like to make my own opinion, says the technician. Mbark was a huge support upon my arrival, a leader . "
An important relay in the national team
The coach of the "Atlas Lions" has clearly made the Dutch speaker one of his basic men. And he has always maintained his confidence, even when Mbark Boussoufa found himself six months without an employer, after the 2018 World Cup. " I knew that by finding a club, it would be essential for the team of Morocco and for me, "says Hervé Renard. " He is someone who is able to express himself in French, English, Arabic and Dutch. He can talk with everyone. So, it's an exceptional relay. That's why he's here . " (He's laughing).
Metronome on the pitch and big brother outside, Mbark Boussoufa now hopes to conclude in beauty an adventure with the Moroccan selection that began in 2006. If possible by winning this CAN 2019. " There is a nation and a people behind us , launches the current resident of Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia). For three years, we have been together. And the most important thing is to win together . "
► Also read: Calendar, results and standings of the Africa Cup