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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Tom Cavilla

AFCON top scorer refuses to speak after controversial Mohamed Salah comments backfire

Cameroon international Vincent Aboubakar refused to stop for reporters after his controversial Mohamed Salah comments backfired on Thursday evening.

Aboubakar and his the rest of his international team-mates missed out on a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final after suffering a 3-1 penalty shootout defeat to Egypt following a 0-0 draw.

This result has ensured it will be Liverpool duo Salah and Sadio Mane going head-to-head for glory during Sunday's showpiece fixture.

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Egypt, in particular, have proved many doubters wrong on their way to the final after knocking out three of the tournament favourites in Ivory Coast, Morocco and Cameroon.

One player who will have felt the defeat to the Pharaohs more than most is Cameroon forward Aboubakar, who aimed a dig at Salah before their semi-final showdown - only then to be sent packing from AFCON.

"He doesn’t impress me much. I say it clearly because I’m an honest person and I have my way of seeing things," the Al-Nassr striker told Radio France Internationale : “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’s doing good stuff in the Premier League because he’s been in a team that’s been there for years."

Aboubakar remains the leading scorer at AFCON with six goals to his name, but is likely to have regretted such claims given Salah's success at club level this season and role in Egypt's unlikely progression to the final.

The former Porto marksman was the only player from the Cameroon side to convert their spot-kick against Egypt, but was in no mood to stop and talk to reporters post-match as he kept his head down and ignored invitations to speak.

At the next instalment of AFCON, there's every chance Aboubakar may well choose his words more carefully ahead of crunch fixtures.

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