Sofiane Boufal ends almost two-year drought to earn Le Havre point at Angers | OneFootball

Sofiane Boufal ended an almost two-year wait for a goal as his strike earned Le Havre a 1-1 draw at Angers on Saturday, a result that bolsters their survival bid and pleased head coach Didier Digard.

He chose not to celebrate at his boyhood club. According to L'Équipe, his previous goal was on 14 May 2024 in the Qatar Cup quarter-finals for Al-Rayyan, before spells at Union Saint-Gilloise and then Le Havre in January.

On joining Le Havre, his brief was to rediscover enjoyment and help secure a third successive top-flight stay. Since returning to France, the 32-year-old had shown flashes and supplied three assists, level with Rassoul Ndiaye, but he had not scored.

That changed on 13 minutes, a right-footed finish from an Issa Soumaré pass. Digard said they spoke 10 days earlier, he reminded Boufal of his last goal, felt he did not think enough about scoring, and wanted him to realise he has the quality, adding that for a long time he set himself too many limits.

Boufal said such moments should come naturally and the applause filled him with pride. He created repeatedly after the break, though a first-half error might have proved costly, and after starting on the bench at Nice last Sunday, 1-1, likely to rest, he said he is building rhythm after a finger operation two weeks ago and now feels at full capacity as Le Havre push on.

Source: L'Équipe