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Rabat – Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou is officially the first African goalkeeper to reach three clean sheets in a single edition of the World Cup.
Bounou’s stellar performance in the World Cup is attracting the admiration of football fans around the world.
In Morocco’s round of 16 game against Spain last Tuesday, Bounou stole the show after managing to stop all of the opposition’s penalty kicks during the shootout.
Bounou was given the Man of the Match award for his outstanding performance. Throughout the game, the goalkeeper helped fend off multiple vicious attacks from the Spanish team, maintaining the tie with Spain.
Bounou is no stranger to acclaim, however. The keeper was awarded with the Zamora trophy, making him the best goalkeeper in the Spanish top-flight league La Liga, and was shortlisted by Frame Football as one of the best goalkeepers in the world before the World Cup.
Following their win against Portugal, Morocco made history, becoming the first African and Arab team to ever qualify for the semi-final of a World Cup tournament.
Morocco’s World Cup gains are a source of pride for football fans across Africa and in the Arab world.
“Morocco is our pride,” South Sudan Football Association president Augustino Maduot Parek said to The Associated Press.
The North African country’s performance is a source of pride for another reason. The team is led by a Moroccan coach, Walid Regragui, marking a departure from previous reliance on European coaches.
Regragui became the first African coach to ever reach the quarter-finals, and will now helm the Moroccan team in a bid to continue the incredibly successful campaign.
Read Also: Morocco vs Spain: FIFA Names Yassine Bounou Man of the Match
