Morocco’s World Cup Hero Seeks Redemption in Belgian League

After fourteen months marked by injuries and a substitute status, the player hopes that his season will finally take off. The arrival of a new coach, David Hubert, and the team’s current difficulties in creating chances could offer him an opportunity. According to one of his close associates quoted by La Dernière Heure, he feels a "great frustration" at not being able to give what he would like, despite the good collective results.

The main obstacle to his fulfillment has been his physical fragility. After missing the start of the playoffs last season, he was again stopped by a hamstring injury on the synthetic pitch of La Louvière. This is not the first time that this type of surface has caused him problems: when he played at Lille, an injury on the artificial pitch of Lorient had forced him to undergo meniscus surgery.

Back from injury just before the international break, Sofiane Boufal took advantage of this pause to recover completely, in agreement with the medical staff. The question now is whether the new coach will start him this Saturday against Charleroi, or whether he will prefer to use him as a substitute, a few days before a Champions League match against Inter Milan.

Because beyond his situation at the club, the stakes are also international. Not selected for the national team since the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, he has not been forgotten. He had been pre-selected in September, and coach Walid Regragui has recently hinted that a starting spot at the club could reopen the doors of the national team for him.

For the 32-year-old player, the goal is clear: to finally impose himself at Union in order to be able to apply for a spot for the Africa Cup of Nations in December, and then for the World Cup in June. A path that, as one of his close associates summarizes, requires "taking it step by step", starting by finding continuity at the club.