Mamelodi Sundowns' off season signing Abdelmounaim Boutouil's might have taken months to finally start playing but he has proven that he was worth all the wait and effort by the club.
After having battled with injury and fitness concerns at the beginning of the season, Boutouil has now started showing his qualities and has played the last four CAF Champions League matches.
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His agent Hicham Debhi has disclosed that how Sundowns spotted the 25-year-old at the CHAN finals (played from 16 January – 7 February 2021) played in Cameroon and won by Morocco.
Boutouil was named in the CHAN team of the tournament but was on loan at SC Chabab Mohammedia from Belgian club Royale Union Saint Gilloise from where he returned to Morocco in August 2021 to play for Chabab before a brief stint with Raja Casablanca.
It was during the winter transfer window when he returned to Morocco that Sundowns upped their interest before ultimately landing him on a R6,8 million transfer at the beginning of this season.
"AB (Boutouil) was originally spotted by Sundowns at the CHAN finals (2021) played in Cameroon when Morocco were winners of that tournament," Hicham Debhi tells KickOff from Morocco in the week after Sundowns arrived in the North African country for their CAF Champions League tie against Wydad Casablanca.
"The Sundowns scouts were in Cameroon following him and after that they continued checking up on him in Belgium.
"Then afterwards Flemming Berg (Sundowns sporting director) called me directly to ask if I was the agent of the player to which I said yes after which he asked about how we can negotiate.
"From there it was all smooth, easy and quick because at Sundowns they are organised in their set-up, and they were dealing with a professional player.
"Matters relating to technical aspects I spoke with Flemming and when it came to money matters, I only spoke to the finance person at Sundowns.
"Then with contracts it was Yogesh Singh.
"All of this was done with respect with everything organised and direct.
"It wasn't like some clubs that always have some people coming from behind trying to hijack or disturb the procedure of deals.
"In this business there are a lot of unscrupulous elements, and it is refreshing when you deal with a straight club like Sundowns who have clear structures in that you speak to the sporting director and then the guy from finance, Yogesh and it is finished.
"Working with Sundowns on this transfer was like I was dealing with a club from Europe.
"They are a top club.
"Even when we flew into Johannesburg, we found them waiting for us at the airport and took us to do the medical and the player signed afterwards.
"It was a professional presentation and it showed how much they cared about the player who was coming from far to play in South Africa.
"Even with the coach there was constant communication when the player arrived and was going through the process of adjusting.
"The player felt at home right away and has made good memories with every day that he has spent there.
"They are truly The Brazilians of Africa with their operations.
"Sundowns were in Morocco this past week and all the media interest was on AB with all the newspapers writing about him.
"So many questions were put out about why AB had to leave, and the Sundowns officials were all surprised about this.
"I told them that this is because he was at Raja (Casablanca) before where he didn't play much.
"The coach of the national team Walid Regragui came to the game especially for Boutouil because the national team has issues at the back with the captain Romain Saiss now 33.
"Boutouil is special in that he is left footed and there aren't so many of them around the world," details Debhi.
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