image sources, Catherine Mueller – FIFA
Yassine Bounou celebrates the victory after the match between Morocco and Portugal.
Morocco have earned a place of honor at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. For the first time, the African team has qualified for a semi-final, having left Portugal behind. The team managed to maintain their score at zero in 4 of the 5 games they played in Qatar. A feat that is due to its star goalkeeper: Yassine Bouno, better known as Bono.
“We are here to change mentalities and get rid of inferiority,” said the 31-year-old goalkeeper. “Morocco are ready to face anyone in the world, beyond the semi-finals and everything else.”
Bono has captured the attention of this World Cup for such feats as he displayed in the game against Spain, when he saved two penalties and haven’t conceded a goal in 130 minutes. This match, which excluded the Spanish team, has become a historic milestone for Moroccan football.
“We changed that mentality and the generation that will follow us will know that Moroccan players can create miracles“, did he declare.
image sources, Getty Images
Bono saved two penalties in the game against Spain and didn’t allow a goal in 130 minutes.
The goalkeeper, who curiously developed a good part of his career in Spain, has just had an exceptional role as a goalkeeper for Sevilla.
His performance earned him the consideration the ninth-best goalkeeper in the world at the Ballon d’Or gala after receiving the 2022 Yashin Trophy and winning his first Zamora Trophy as a goalkeeper with the fewest goals scored during the 21-22 season.
Bono became his side’s hero in March 2021 against Valladolid, scoring a 93rd-minute goal to equalise. This feat by an archer was not had obtained in a decade in the Spanish League.
Bono’s performance in the August 2020 semi-finals also helped Sevilla overcome Manchester United 2-1 and claim their sixth Europa League title.
image sources, Getty Images
Yassine Bounou celebrates with his son the team’s 1-0 victory after the game between Morocco and Portugal
Argentinian at heart
Yassine Bouno was born far from Morocco: in Montreal (Canada). He returned to his parents’ country when he was 7 years old. From a very young age, he was interested in football and was part of the Wydad Casablanca club, but his father was against him devoting himself to sport. Nonetheless, Bono insisted on being professional.
He left Morocco when he was signed by Atlético de Madrid. The experience was not what he expected and he gave up. He spent two seasons with Zamora (2014-2016) then with Girona (2016-2019). Until he ends up in Seville.
His life was linked to Spain. However, he is known to be a huge Argentinian soccer fan and River fan. “The first shirt my dad gave me was from Argentina,” the goalkeeper said a while ago.
image sources, Getty Images
Bono is considered the ninth best goalkeeper in the world after receiving the 2022 Yashin Trophy.
A close relationship to which we attribute his particular Argentinian accent. “I’m more Moroccan than anything. What happens is that when I arrived in Spain, I learned with Argentinians and my accent remained a bit,” he once explained.
His great idol is Ariel Ortega, the former Argentinian footballer better known as “El Burrito Ortega”. Bono even admitted in an interview that his dog was named Ariel, after the River player.
Now the eyes of the world are on Morocco. The gloves of its star goalkeeper allowed the African team to achieve its best performance in the World Cup, after Mexico 86. Will it be Bono’s turn to face the Argentina team? We will see it.
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