Rabat – FIFA has celebrated Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou for helping Al Hilal stay in the race for the next round of the Club World Cup.
The Saudi club played to a 0-0 draw against Austria’s Salzburg on Sunday in the second round of the group stage. Bounou’s performance during the game earned him the Superior Player of the Match award.
In its match report, FIFA said that Bounou was key to Al Hilal’s hopes of reaching the second round. It added that the Moroccan goalkeeper stayed alert throughout the match, made two great saves, and several key stops.
This has allowed the team to stay in the game and earn a valuable point.
“Yassine Bounou’s amazing face to face save keeps Al Hilal’s hopes alive and earns him the Superior Player of The Match,” FIFA wrote.
This is not the first time Bounou has saved his team during the ongoing tournament. In Al Hilal’s first match against Real Madrid, which ended in a 1-1 draw, he stopped a penalty kick in stoppage time and made many saves to deny the Spanish giants a win.
After the game against Salzburg, Bounou said he and his teammates are still hopeful. The team will try to give their best performance in the third and final group match against Mexican club Pachuca on June 27.
Al Hilal are currently third in Group H with 2 points. Real Madrid and Salzburg lead the group with 4 points each, while Mexico’s Pachuca are at the bottom with zero points.
A win against Pachuca will be crucial if they hope to advance to the knockout stage.
Bounou, known for his sharp reflexes and calm presence under pressure, is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. In addition to being a key player for Al Hilal, he is also an instrumental part of the Moroccan national team.
Bounou played a heroic role in Morocco’s historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Atlas Lions became the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals.
He was vital in their quarter-final win against Portugal, during which he kept a clean sheet, and famously
