World Cup 2022: Morocco goalkeeper Bono sets tournament record after historic win over Portugal

Published on: 14 December 2022
World Cup 2022: Morocco goalkeeper Bono sets tournament record after historic win over Portugal
Morocco goalkeeper Bono

Moroccan giant goalkeeper Yassine Bounou became the first African goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in three matches in one edition of the FIFA World Cup finals.

Bono, as he is popularly called, reached this achievement after the historic progress of the Atlas Lions to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, with a resounding 1-0 victory over Portugal on Saturday.

The north African side will now take on their colonial masters France in Wednesday's semi-final clash with the Moroccans seeking more history to become the first African side to reach the final.

The Atlas Lions have become the favourites of some of the punters with Sugarhouse Bonus Code offering the opportunity to football fans to try their luck with the side that has progressed thanks to the heroics of Bono.

Morocco became the first African and Arab country to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

The Atlas Lions pulled off one of the biggest surprises by topping Group F comprising Croatia, the runner-up of the 2018 World Cup, FIFA ranked third-placed side Belgium, and Canada to progress.

Bono, the goalkeeper of Spanish side Sevilla, made this historic achievement in the opening match against Croatia (0-0), the final price against Spain (0-0 and winning 3-0 on penalties) when he stopped two penalty kicks.

He also kept a clean sheet in the quarter-finals against Portugal which has put him in the history books of Africa.

The best goalkeeper in the Spanish League last season did not participate in the 2-0 victory over Belgium in the second match of the group stage, after he was in the starting line-up and went through the warm-up period and stood with his colleagues during the playing of the national anthem.

But the goalkeeper felt dizzy after that so his coach Walid Reki dgragrui decided not to risk his participation.

Saudi based goalkeeper Munir Al-Qajwi Al-Muhammadi took his in his place and also excelled in the game.

Canada's final match in the group stage ended with a 2-1 victory for the "Atlas Lions" 2-1 when Bono returned to his  goalkeeping duties. Even that goal came from Nayef Akrad - an own goal-, and it is the only that ball entered Morocco's net so far in Qatar in five matches.

Against Portugal, Bono shone brilliantly and pushed a powerful one-handed shot by Joao Felix into a corner (82), then blocked Cristiano Ronaldo's powerful shot from outside the area (90 + 1), depriving the Selecao of equalizing the score, securing the historic progress of Morocco.

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