After being substituted in the anthem, Moroccan goalkeeper turns around and becomes a hero against Spain

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In his second World Cup, the Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, 31, became a national hero this Tuesday (6) when he saved two penalty kicks against Spain and guaranteed the African team in the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in history.

And it was precisely against the country where he currently plays. Bono, as he is called, defends Sevilla’s colors in the Spanish Championship.

Even before the game, the Spaniards knew they would have a difficult goalkeeper to overcome. In the 2021/2022 season, Bono won the Zamora Trophy, a traditional award given by the newspaper Marca to the best goalkeeper of the season.

Born in Canada, Bono moved with his family to Morocco at the age of 8. He emerged in football at Wyad Casablanca and at the age of 19 was traded to Atlético de Madrid.

He was unable to establish himself in the team and ended up playing for smaller clubs, until he was traded to Sevilla in 2020. At the club, he was a key player in winning the Europa League title in the 2019/2020 season.

Last year he also stood out when he scored the goal in Sevilla’s 1-1 draw with Valladolid, in the Spanish Championship. The team lost until the 49th minute of the second half, when he went on the attack in a corner kick and ended up scoring with his left foot, after picking up a rebound.

In this Qatar Cup, Bono had already attracted attention when he was “substituted” shortly after the anthem was played in the match against Belgium, in the second round of the group stage. The goalkeeper felt bad, with vertigo, and ended up not playing.

This Tuesday, he redeemed himself and changed his story. He went on to be the goalkeeper who stopped Spain. There were two penalties saved, by Soler and Busquets.

“I concentrated and thank God I hit the corner and took both penalties,” Bono said after the game.

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