PROFILE | Zakaria Aboukhlal a big miss for under-performing Toulouse | OneFootball

The energy Zakaria Aboukhlal (23) brings to the flank of his team’s attack is incomparable, and his absence this season can be closely linked to Toulouse FC’s disappointing 14th position in the league.

Last season, Aboukhlal was Le Téfécé’s second top scorer behind Thijs Dallinga (23), scoring 15 goals in all competitions. On top of his goal-scoring prowess, what the Moroccan brings is incessant danger and verticality down whichever side he is playing on, attracting defenders in order to create space and opportunities for his partners. The lack of that liveliness, along with the departure of Farès Chaïbi (21), who was one of the team’s top creators, is one of the factors that has led to the club’s difficulties this season.

Aboukhlal started off playing at Willem II Tilburg in the Netherlands before moving on to PSV Eindhoven, where he climbed the youth ranks but only made two appearances for the first team. In the summer of 2019, he went on to sign for AZ Alkmaar for a fee worth €2 million, and there he finally got the first team football he was looking for. Within three seasons at the club, he moved between the u-21 team, playing in the second division, and the first team, making 76 appearances with the first team in the Eredivisie.

Aboukhlal well-scouted by Toulouse’s data-driven recruiters

In his final season there, he discovered European football and the Conference League, reaching the round of 16. His performances caught the eye of Toulouse’s data-driven recruitment, who were looking to strengthen their squad with intelligent business following their promotion to Ligue 1.

After signing for €2 million, Aboukhlal went on to become an important member of last season’s exciting Toulouse squad that finished 13th in Ligue 1, but more importantly, went all the way to winning the Coupe de France, synonymous with qualification for the Europa League. As a big game player, the Moroccan played an essential part in his team’s trophy charge, scoring in every one of their fixtures in the tournament, and proving unstoppable in the 1-5 thrashing of FC Nantes in the final.

This season, the winger had begun at the same pace as he had ended the previous, scoring three in the first five Ligue 1 games, and his injury came as a fatality for Les Violets, who are struggling for survival without him.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande