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Casablanca – Morocco goalkeeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou continues to build a formidable reputation in penalty shootouts after Opta revealed that only four of the last 12 penalties he has faced in Morocco’s previous three major tournament shootouts have been converted.
The statistic spans Morocco’s penalty shootout victories over Spain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria at the 2025 FIFA Africa Cup of Nations, and the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Most recently, Bono played a decisive role in Morocco’s Round of 32 victory over the Netherlands in Monterrey after the match ended 1-1 following extra time.
With the shootout tied at 2-2 in the final round, Bono produced a crucial save to deny Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville before Ismael Saibari converted the winning penalty to send Morocco into the Round of 16.
Earlier this year, Bono saved penalties from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi during Morocco’s AFCON semifinal victory over Nigeria, helping the Atlas Lions reach their first continental final in 22 years.
His most iconic shootout performance came during Morocco’s historic 2022 World Cup run in Qatar.
Spain failed to score a single penalty during the Round of 16 shootout, with Bono saving shots from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets, while Pablo Sarabia struck the post after the Moroccan goalkeeper correctly guessed the ball’s direction .
Bono became the first African goalkeeper to save two penalties in a single World Cup shootout.
Analysts have increasingly pointed to Bono’s unusual pre-shot movement and composure during shootouts as major factors behind his success rate.
Rather than remaining static on the line, Bono often uses subtle body feints before the strike, appearing to commit early before quickly adjusting his movement.
The technique is particularly effective against “goalkeeper-dependent” penalty takers who wait for the goalkeeper to move before choosing their placement.
Combined with his calm demeanor and visible confidence during shootouts, Bono has become one of international football’s most effective penalty specialists.
