Vincent Aboubakar has stoked the flames ahead of Thursday's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Cameroon and Egypt by insisting that he "isn't impressed" by Mohamed Salah.
Aboubakar has been one of the tournament's standout performers and currently tops the scoring ranks after netting six goals.
His form has been pivotal in setting up a semi-final showdown with Egypt, with Senegal awaiting the winner in Sunday's final.
Thursday night's clash will see Aboubakar come face to face with the biggest name at the tournament in Salah; who is Egypt's most influential star.
But the Cameroon captain has dismissed the Liverpool talisman after outgunning him in the race for the Golden Boot - and has even bizarrely claimed that Salah "doesn't produce a lot of stuff" in games on the eve of their big clash.
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"I see it as before," Aboubakar told RFI. "He is having a great season in the Premier League, he is helping his country to advance in the competition. I wish him a lot of luck. May the best win!
"He doesn't impress me much. I say it clearly because I'm an honest person and I have my way of seeing things. 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.
"He's a good player but not at the level of some like [Kylian] Mbappé."
Aboubakar's brazen claim will come back to haunt him quickly if Egypt pip the host nation to a place in Sunday's final.
Thursday night's showdown will see the two most successful sides in AFCON history collide.
No other nation can match Egypt's record of seven AFCON triumphs, although Cameroon are sat directly behind them with five.
In Salah, Egypt arguably have the most in-form player on the planet.
The 29-year-old has been in sizzling form this season, notching an incredible 23 goals and nine assists in just 26 games for the Reds.
While Salah has so far failed to show the same prowess in front of goal out in Cameroon, the attacker has still played a huge role in Egypt's run to the final four.
A win for Egypt would set up a remarkable showdown between Salah and his Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane in Sunday's final after Senegal dispatched Burkina Faso in the other semi-final tie.
Mane netted the final goal in Wednesday night's 3-1 win to kill off any hope of a late Burkina Faso fightback.
And he could yet come face to face with his partner in crime on Merseyside if Salah and Egpyt can overcome the tournament's buoyant hosts.
