Rabat – Morocco’s Yassine Bounou was certainly a hero for Al Hilal and its fans tonight, delivering a stellar performance against Real Madrid as part of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Moroccan international goalkeeper made a series of crucial saves. He saved Al Hilale from Los Blancos’ multiple clear chances in a thrilling match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Following a 90th-minute VAR review, Real Madrid were awarded a penalty, but Bounou denied Federico Valverde with a brilliant double-save, keeping Al Hilal in the game.
In April, Bounou shared his excitement about playing in the tournament, expressing confidence in his team’s ability to make a strong impact in the FIFA Club World Cup.
“I’ve faced a lot of great teams throughout my career, and I’m privileged that Real Madrid is one of them, and it’s a great honour to do it again wearing the Al Hilal shirt,” the player told FIFA in an interview.
He said he played against Real a lot.
“I have many friends in the team, and I’ve always met their fans on the streets of Spain. I’ve always had mutual respect for the club and its supporters,” he added.
