One of the unexpected stars of the Qatar 2022 World Cup has been Yassine Bounou
(Picture: Reuters)All facets of Moroccan society are clinging to this fantastic 2022 World Cup journey, with Yassine Bounou largely responsible for their happiness.
Morocco’s goalkeeper Bounou has been instrumental in his country’s run to the World Cup semi-finals. Last week, Bounou saved both Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets’ penalties against Spain in the Round of 16 shootout guiding his team to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Thanks in part to Bounou’s memorable saves, Morocco have become the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
The 31-year-old Moroccan was even captured shooting a toothy grin while mid-air before successfully parrying Spain’s third penalty kick.
Yassine Bounou was saving Spain's penalties with a smile.. GOAT things 😏 pic.twitter.com/VBecCY09Sy
— Pulse Sports Nigeria (@PulseSportsNG) December 6, 2022
It was one of about a dozen wry smiles he has become famous for.
Who is the man goalkeeping for Morocco?
Who is Yassine Bounou?
Bounou is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays in goal for La Liga club Sevilla and the Morocco national team.
Born in Montreal, Canada, his family moved back to Casablanca, Morocco, when he was three. There, he grew up in a comfortable, middle-class setting, and eventually attended one of Morocco’s best French secondary schools.
Bounou joined Wydad Athletic Club at the age of eight and advanced swiftly to become the club’s most successful player.
His professional debut came in 2011, according to Aljazeera, during the African Champions League final against Tunisian giants Espérance Sportive de Tunis. He has played for Spanish teams Atletico Madrid, Zaragoza, and Girona since.
Bounou has represented Morocco at two Fifa World Cups and three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He previously played for the under-23 team at the 2012 Olympics.
Bounou has been playing with Sevilla since the 2019-2020 season and has made 120 appearances for the club across competitions.
The footballer also played for Morocco during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The custodian had the choice of playing for Canada, his country of birth, but decided to play for the African side.
