Yassine Bounou: ‘I Could Have Played for Canada’

Moroccan international and Sevilla FC goalkeeper Yassine Bounou revealed that he was asked to play for the Canadian national team early in his career.

In a recent interview with the Spanish football-focused show Balón Parado aired on Sevilla FC channel, the Moroccan goalkeeper touched on many issues, most importantly his now-rejected potential representation of Canada in future competitions.

“Yes, I was indeed contacted by Benito Floro when he was [Canada national team] coach [between 2013 and 2016]. I had not yet played an international match with the Atlas Lions back then,” Bounou outlined.

The 31-year-old further illustrated that he “could have played for Canada,” but his strong connection with Morocco stood in between.

“I am originally from Morocco and I grew up there. I always dreamed of playing for the Atlas Lions,” he said.

Having been born in Canada and raised in Morocco, the Sevilla FC goalkeeper holds dual Morocco-Canadian nationality, making Morocco’s Atlas Lions’ highly-anticipated game against Canada in the upcoming Qatar World Cup a special moment full of mixed feelings for the player.

“It’s strange to play against Canada, the country where I was born. The Canadian national team has developed a lot. By chance, they came in our way,” the Moroccan goalkeeper noted.

Other than Canada, Morocco’s Atlas Lions have to play difficult games against highly competitive teams in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Morocco was placed in a tough group (Group F) alongside Belgium, Croatia, and Canada for the world’s most prestigious football competition.

Morocco’s football team’s opening game will be against Croatia on November 23 at 10:00 a.m. (GMT) at the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha.

The second game will see Morocco face Belgium on November 27 at 1:00 p.m. (GMT) at the Al Thumama Stadium, while the third game against Canada is scheduled to take place on December 1 at Al Thumama Stadium at 3:00 p.m. (GMT).

With the Moroccan squad’s unbeaten run in the World Cup qualifiers, football fans hope that the team further cements its presence on the international football scene through a strong performance on the world’s biggest football stage.